


Pandemic Love

by krislynrose



Category: Original Work, Real Person Fiction
Genre: Adrenaline, Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Bicycles, Bike lessons, Birth Control, Blow Jobs, Bonding, COVID-19, Car Sex, Caught, Characters Watching Disney Movies, Co-workers, Comfort, Coronavirus, Cuddling & Snuggling, Cunnilingus, Developing Friendships, Dinner, Dirty Talk, Dream Sex, Driving, Embarrassment, Eventual Relationships, F/M, Family, Family Drama, Family Feels, Family Issues, Grocery Shopping, Hair-pulling, Halloween, Happy Ending, Help, Hospitalization, Implied Sexual Content, Karen - Freeform, Kinks, Kinky, Loss of Trust, Love, Love Confessions, Making Out, Masturbation, Menstruation, Moving In Together, Moving Out, Oral Sex, Orgasm, Pandemics, Phone Sex, Plans For The Future, Police, Racism, Rating May Change, Returning Home, Secrets, Sex in a Car, Sexting, Sherlock (TV) References, Sherlock Holmes References, Simultaneous Orgasm, Smut, Song: WAP (Cardi B ft. Megan Thee Stallion), Spanking, Stargazing, Stress, Sunrises, Ten Years Later, Tenderness, Things have changed, Vaginal Fingering, Vandalism, Wet Dream, Workplace, Workplace Relationship, Workplace Sex, depo shot, five feet apart, movie, social distancing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-26
Updated: 2020-12-03
Packaged: 2021-03-07 20:59:33
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 43
Words: 25,102
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26644123
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/krislynrose/pseuds/krislynrose
Summary: During the Coronavirus Pandemic, Ava McIntosh, a store associate at The Scarf Shop, meets Aaron Bennett, a mall security guard.
Relationships: Original Female Character/Original Male Character
Comments: 13
Kudos: 45





	1. First Meeting

**Author's Note:**

> The female is based off of my real life friend. The male is based off of the real security guard that works at the same mall she works. I will not reveal their real names. In real life, the two are actually in different relationships (they were never together, but they're good friends), I still ship them anyways.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *The Scarf Shop is a store I made up.*

***June 18, 2020, Ava's POV***

Finally. I get to go to work again after 3 months of the mall being shut down. I truly miss my coworkers and the mall employees that I befriended from other stores.

By the time the clock hit 11 it was time to open the doors. I watched as three security guards pass by, and I noticed the youngest looking guard looked towards my store. I couldn't help but find him kind of attractive. He made eye contact with me and gave me a light nod so I nodded back as he turned away and kept walking with his coworkers. 

"Okay, that security guard was totally checking you out," my coworker Alicia said.

"I doubt it," I said.

"Girl, didn't you see the way he looked at you? I'm pretty sure he was smiling under his mask," Alicia chuckled.

"Maybe he was just being nice," I told her.

"I still think he's checking you out. Speaking of," Alicia said. "Turn around," she added.

I turned around, and who do I see? The young security guard.

"Hi," I greeted.

"Hey, how's it going?" the guy greeted back.

"Good, how are you?" I asked him.

"Pretty good. This shows the new mall hours and the stores that are currently open," he explained, handing me a flyer.

"Alright, thank you," I said.

"No problem. Have a good one," the security guard said.

"You too," I told him. He thanked me then walked out.

"He seems nice," my manager Carol said. "I think he was checking you out," she added.

"He was simply just doing his job," I said, handing her the paper.

"See? Even Carol agrees with me," Alicia said.

***4:00 PM***

"Bye, Ava! See you tomorrow!" my coworkers said.

"Bye, girls! Have a great day!" I said to them.

As I walked out of the store I noticed the young security guard from this morning so I thought maybe I could say hi to him, hoping I'm not distracting him from his work.

"Hi," I greeted him.

"Oh hey! How's it going?" he greeted back.

"It's all good. How are you doing?" I asked.

"Tired," he told me.

"Oh yeah, I feel you. Finally done for the day though," I said.

"Lucky. I still have three hours," the guy said.

"Aw, I'm sorry," I told him.

"Eh, it's all good," he said. "You work at The Scarf Shop, right?" he asked.

"Yes, I do. By the way, my name is Ava," I introduced myself.

"Aaron," the security guard introduced himself.

"Nice to meet you, Aaron," I said.

"Nice to meet you too, Ava. I unfortunately can't shake your hand though," Aaron said.

"Oh, believe me. I know. Is an elbow bump okay?" I offered.

"Absolutely," Aaron said as we bumped elbows.

"I know we just met but do you want to talk sometime? Like outside of work?" I asked him while getting out a pen and paper.

"Sure. That sounds good," Aaron agreed. He then told me his phone number and I added it to my phone. I wrote my number on the paper and gave it to him.

"Alright, I guess it's time for me to go," I said.

"Okay. I still have to walk around," Aaron said.

"Okay, you have a great day," I said.

"You too," he said, and we went our separate ways.


	2. Tested

***8:00 PM, 3rd Person POV***

Ava was preparing her outfit for the next day until she heard her phone ring. She picked it up and saw a text.

_'Hey, it's Aaron 😃'_

She smiled and texted back.

_'Hi, it's Ava. How was work?'_

Her phone rang twice, both texts from Aaron.

_'Tiring 😛'_

_'Hey, are you working tomorrow, or are you free, because I do have the day off, and maybe we can hang out, although my parents suggested we get tested before we can actually hang out because of everything going on. I did tell them about you.'_

Ava texted back:

_'I am working tomorrow 😞 I told my parents about you too, and they suggested the same thing, we get tested. My next day off is Tuesday in case you were wondering.'_

Her phone rang again:

_'I'm off Tuesday too! But yeah, I'll get myself tested tomorrow.'_

Ava smiled and responded.

_'I get off at 3 tomorrow, so I'll get myself tested after work.'_

She received another response.

_'Sounds good. I hope to see you Tuesday when we're both negative.'_

Ava laughed and texted back.

_'I hope so too.'_

***The next day, 3:30 PM***

"Ava McIntosh!" a doctor called.

Ava stood up and followed the doctor. She read her text from Aaron 10 minutes ago, which read _'Good luck. I promise it will be okay. 😊'_

"Right here, Miss Ava," the doctor said. She took out a swab.

Ava freaked out on the inside. Aaron told her earlier about how it went. She lowered her mask below her nose, and held in a scream when the swab went into her nose, down her throat.

The doctor then took the swab out. "Done. You will get your results on Monday," she said, putting the swab in a little tube.

"Thank you, have a great day," Ava said, pulling her mask back over her nose.

"You do the same. Keep safe, wash your hands often, maintain a distance of 6 feet around you, and wear your mask," the doctor reminded her.

"Of course," Ava said, then she walked out. "Ouch," she said, wiggling her nose a little.

* * *

As soon as she went home, she immediately washed her hands and changed her clothes, then took out her phone to text Aaron.

_'It was brutal! My nose still kinda hurts! 😭'_

Her phone rang and it was a text from Aaron.

_'I know! My nose didn't really hurt that much, but it was still uncomfortable! 😣'_

She texted him back.

_'I'll be honest with you. I'm nervous for the results.'_

She received a response.

_'I know. But I promise you, everything will be okay.'_

Ava smiled at that.


	3. Waiting

***Monday, 11:30 AM***

Ava was standing near the front of the door when Aaron approached her.

"Negative. I got my results this morning. I tested negative!" he told her.

"That's good news! I still haven't gotten mine yet, but I'm suppose to get it today," Ava said.

"How are you feeling?" Aaron asked her.

"Nervous. But wellness wise, I feel fine. I can breathe perfectly, no sore throat, or fever. I feel normal, really," Ava told him.

"Ava, I promise you, it will be okay," Aaron assured her.

"Thanks, Aaron," Ava said.

"No problem," Aaron said.

The two of them smiled at each other, except they couldn't see it because of their masks.

"Just thought I'd let you know, I am smiling," Ava said.

"So am I," Aaron said, and they both laughed. "I should get going. I still have to walk around," he told her.

"Alright, see ya later," Ava said.

"Yep, see ya," Aaron said, then he walked out.

***5:30 PM***

"I'm home!" Ava called out.

"Sweetie, your results are in," Mrs. McIntosh said to her daughter.

"Thanks, Mom," Ava said as she picked up the envelope. She took a deep breath and opened it, taking the letter out, unfolding it, then read her results.


	4. Her Results

**_Negative._ **

Ava sighed in relief. She was tested negative!

She grabbed her phone to text Aaron: _'Results: Negative!'_

Her phone rang twice, receiving texts from her new friend.

_'That's good news! Let's hang out tomorrow!'_

_'I was thinking maybe we can walk around the park.'_

'Park sounds like a great idea,' Ava thought in her head. She texted him back.

_'I like the sound of that!'_

Her phone rang again:

_'Wonderful! How does noon sound?'_

She responded with: _'Noon sounds great to me! 😊'_

Ava sighed with a big smile on her face. She was looking forward to the next day.


	5. Confessions

***Tuesday***

"So tell me about yourself," Aaron said.

"Well, besides the obvious working at The Scarf Shop, I love animals," Ava said.

"I love animals too!" Aaron told her.

"Animals are amazing. What about you? Tell me about yourself," Ava encouraged.

"Besides the obvious being a security guard, I love cooking," Aaron said.

"Cooking is fun! Well, to be honest, before Covid, I actually sucked at cooking. But ever since the lockdown happened I decided to teach myself to cook, and now I love it!" Ava said.

"Well, maybe we should have a cook-off someday," Aaron suggested.

"But then you'd win!" Ava whined jokingly.

"Who knows? Maybe you would win," Aaron said.

"Maybe. And I'll be honest with you, when I first looked at you that day I came back, I couldn't help but find you attractive," Ava confessed.

"Ava, I'll be honest with you. I found myself attracted to you before Covid even happened, but I didn't know how to express it. When the mall shut down for 3 months, I was so disappointed that I couldn't see you. Of course, being part of the security team, I never lost my job. I really missed you," Aaron told her. "When the first batch of stores were reopening, I was hoping yours was one of them. When I found out it was, I was excited to see you again," he added.

"Really?" Ava asked.

"Yeah, really," Aaron said.

"Ya know, if I could kiss you right now, I would," Ava said.

"And if I could hold your hand, I would," Aaron said.

"Wait here," Ava said, then she went to her car. A minute later, she came back with two pairs of gloves. "I should've asked if you had any latex allergies," she said.

"I don't," Aaron said.

"Okay, here's some hand sanitizer and gloves," Ava said as they both sanitized their hands and put their gloves on.

"If only I could feel your hands," Aaron said, holding onto Ava's hands.

"And if only I could feel your kiss," Ava said. "Should we go for it?" she asked.

"I think we should," Aaron said, then they both leaned in for a kiss, but with their masks on.


	6. First Night

***1 month later***

"We still haven't kissed with our masks off," Ava said.

"And we still haven't held hands without our gloves on," Aaron said. They were sitting in his car, looking at the stars.

"I say we give it a try," Ava suggested.

"Yes, let's go for it. I want to be able to actually hold my girlfriend," Aaron agreed as they both removed their masks and gloves, and shared a real kiss, unmasked, for the first time.

"About damn time," Ava said.

"I know," Aaron said, and they kissed again. As they kissed, their hands roamed freely all over each other's bodies. "My parents are visiting my aunt and uncle, and they told me they'll be staying overnight. Want to come over?" he offered.

"I'd like that. My parents are visiting my grandparents, the ones on my mom's side. We could stop by my house so I could pack a few things," Ava said.

"Sounds good," Aaron agreed. He started the car and drove off until they reached Ava's house so she could pack an overnight bag. Once she was packed and ready, they drove over to Aaron's house, which was just 15 minutes away from Ava's.

"Nice house," Ava complimented.

"Thank you. Yours is nice as well," Aaron told her.

"Thank you," Ava said.

"No problem. Make yourself at home," Aaron said, leading her to his room. "Bathroom is just next door to my room if you need it," he added.

"Alright, thank you," Ava said again.

"Not a problem. I'll let you change. You can even use the shower if you want," Aaron said as he let Ava use the bathroom, then went in his room.

Ava took the time to use the toilet, brush her teeth, remove her makeup, and she even took her hair off its ponytail, brushing it until it was smooth. She decided she wanted to take a quick shower, but realized she left her toiletries in Aaron's room so she left the bathroom and knocked on his door.

"Come in!" Aaron called out.

Ava opened the door and nearly froze at the sight of Aaron, who was shirtless but still in his jeans. She couldn't help but admire his body, he was thin but muscled. She snapped out of her daze and focused on getting her toiletries and hair dryer.

"Sorry. I'm just going to take a quick shower. I won't be long," she said.

"It's okay. Take your time," Aaron assured her with a smile.

Ava smiled back, then returned to the bathroom to take a quick shower. She was glad she shaved her underarms, legs, and intimate area the previous day so she had less to worry about. She surprised herself when she was able to take a 5 minute shower. After her shower, she dried herself, got dressed, and blow-dried her hair. Once she was done, she took all her stuff and went back to Aaron's room, the door already open.

"Hey," Ava said as she walked in.

"Hi," Aaron said. "I'm just going to use the bathroom and take a quick shower," he added before walking out of his room.

"Okay," Ava said, putting her stuff back into her bag before sitting down on Aaron's bed.

After 8 minutes, Aaron came back dressed in a black shirt with gray sweatpants, and his hair was damp.

"Comfy?" he asked Ava, who was laying on her stomach.

"Very," Ava said as she sat up. She crawled towards Aaron and kissed him. "I don't mean to freak you out, but I want this. I want you," she added.

"Are you sure? Don't get me wrong, I want you too, but are you sure? I don't want you to feel uncomfortable," Aaron said.

"I am sure. But please be gentle, this is my first time," Ava said.

"Same here. I promise I will be very gentle," Aaron said, kissing her again.

* * *

"Wow," Ava said, snuggling closer to Aaron.

"I know," Aaron said, kissing Ava's forehead gently. "I didn't hurt you, did I?" he asked her.

"Not at all," Ava assured him.

"You might feel a little sore the next morning," Aaron told her.

"It'll be worth it. I mean I did tell you to go a little harder," Ava laughed.

"Yes, you did," Aaron laughed along before kissing her.


	7. Karen

***The next morning, 7:30 AM***

*beep Beep BEEP BEEP*

Ava groaned as she sat up to shut off her alarm. As she was wide awake, she felt an arm around her waist, and remembered the previous night. She and Aaron lost their virginities to each other. Suddenly realizing it was Monday, she gently shook Aaron's shoulder, trying to wake him up.

"Aaron, wake up. We have to work today," she reminded him.

"What day is it?" Aaron mumbled.

"Monday," Ava said.

"Oh shit! We have to go!" Aaron said, sitting up.

"Honey, calm down. It's only 7:33, although I still have to go home so I can take my car to work. Plus, I didn't think to pack any work clothes last night," Ava said, lightly tapping her head.

"Right, I'll make us breakfast," Aaron said.

"I'll help," Ava offered. She tried to stand, only to fall on the floor.

"You okay?" Aaron asked, helping her up.

"Yeah, just a little sore," Ava chuckled.

"Sorry," Aaron said.

"Don't be. I did tell you to go harder," Ava said, getting dressed in the same clothes she wore last night. They both went to the bathroom together, not minding since they did see each other naked the previous night.

* * *

"I'll see you in a little bit," Ava said, kissing Aaron softly before picking up her bags and getting out of his car.

"Yep, see ya," Aaron said. He watched as Ava went into her house, making sure she got in safely, before driving off. Boyfriend and security guard instincts.

***10:45 AM, Aaron's POV***

I can't stop thinking about last night. Ava is an amazing woman. I know it's only been a month since I started talking to her, but I already cannot imagine my life without her. She is the sweetest, most beautiful woman I have ever met.

I put on my mask and got out of my car, locking it, then walked into the mall, heading for the security office. As I got in, I greeted my coworkers.

"Good morning, everyone!" I said.

"Someone's in a cheery mood this morning," my coworker Sam laughed.

"I have the day off tomorrow," I told him.

"Sam, I'll bet you 20 bucks, he got laid last night," my other coworker Liam said.

"You're on!" Sam said.

I felt a blush forming in my face.

"Alright, boys! That's enough. I'm going to assign each of your duties today," my boss Mason said. "Aaron, you'll be patrolling Section 3," he told me.

I cheered on the inside.

"You seem excited. Let me guess, is it the cashier at Victoria's Secret? Wait, no. The girl at The Luggage Place," Liam teased.

"Actually, I think it's that door greeter at The Scarf Shop. I think her name is Eva?" Sam said.

"Ava," I corrected, then immediately put my hand over my mouth.

"Aha! I knew it! It was kind of obvious, I mean every time you see her you're always waving at her," Sam teased.

"Sam and Liam, that's enough! Aaron, go ahead and start patrolling the area," Mason told me.

"Yes, sir," I said. It's 10:50 so I clocked in, then left the office. As soon as I stepped out of the office, Ava walks into the mall. She wore a black dress with a pink face mask today.

"Good morning again, Aaron," Ava greeted me.

"Good morning again, Ava," I greeted back. "Boss had me patrolling Section 3 this morning," I added.

"Awesome! I'll get to see you!" Ava said.

"I know! I'll see you later," I told her.

"See ya!" Ava said, then she walked off. I noticed her walking was slightly off. I hope I wasn't too rough on her last night.

"I've been really tryin', baby!" I heard Liam sing as he stepped out of the office.

"Liam, that's not appropriate," my manager James said before giving me an apologetic look.

***10:55 AM, Ava's POV***

"Ava, you're all smiling this morning," my manager Jasmine said.

"Not working tomorrow, so yeah," I said, clocking in.

"I noticed you've been talking to that one security dude," Jasmine said.

I felt a blush forming in my face.

"Did you two do it?" Carol asked.

"No," I lied.

"Then why are you walking weird?" Alicia asked.

"Sore from jogging," I told her.

"Hm, makes more sense," Jasmine said, nodding. I can tell she's not really buying it.

***3:30 PM, 3rd Person POV***

"What do you mean I can't return these masks? I didn't even open them!" a customer yelled.

"I'm sorry, but it's our store policy. Masks cannot be returned, even if they haven't been opened," an associate Morgan said.

"This is fucking ridiculous!" the customer screamed. She was constantly screaming at Morgan, Jasmine, and Carol.

Ava decided to pick up the phone to call security. She was about to dial the number when Aaron and Sam ran in.

"What's going on here?" Sam asked.

"And is everyone okay?" Aaron asked.

"Thank goodness you guys are here, you might want to see this," Ava said, gesturing towards the register, the customer still yelling at the three girls behind the counter.

"Ma'am, we're going to have to ask you to leave," Sam said to the customer.

"You stay out of this! You and your friends are just a bunch of wannabe cops!" the customer yelled, almost slapping Sam.

"We're gonna need back up, located at The Scarf Shop," Aaron said into his radio.

 _"On my way,"_ they heard James say.

A minute later, James ran in and dragged the customer out of the store.

"You guys are the worst store ever! I'm never shopping here again!" the customer screamed while being dragged away.

"We don't need you anyways, Karen!" another customer yelled, a few others laughing.

"You girls okay?" Ava asked.

"Yeah, we're good," Morgan said.

"If anything else happens, just give us a call," Sam said.

"Thank you, guys," Jasmine said.

"No problem," Sam said, nodding, then walked out with Aaron following him.

Aaron waved at Ava, the girl waving in return.


	8. Found Out

***5:00 PM***

"Bye, girls! Have a good night!" Ava said to her coworkers.

"Bye, Ava!" the girls said back.

As Ava walked out of the store, she was greeted by Aaron.

"Hey, Ava," he greeted her.

"Hello there, Aaron," she greeted back.

"Are you okay? Ever since what happened earlier, I just want to make sure you're okay," Aaron said.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I can assure you everything is okay," Ava said.

"Okay. At least we both have the day off tomorrow," Aaron said.

"So true. By the way, ever since you told me your days off are Tuesdays and Fridays, I asked my manager if I could have those days off as well, and she's fine with it. So now I don't work Tuesdays and Fridays, and we can spend more time together," Ava told him.

"Really? That's awesome!" Aaron said.

"I know!" Ava cheered.

"Is it okay if I hold your hand?" Aaron asked her.

"I'm your girlfriend. Of course you can hold my hand," Ava said, holding her hand out.

"Good," Aaron said, grabbing on to Ava's hand. "You're so beautiful," he added.

"Hey! What are you two doing?! 6 feet apart!" Mason warned the new couple.

"I knew it! I knew something was going on!" Jasmine squealed.

"You guys got laid, didn't you?" Liam asked.

"None of your business," Aaron told him.

"I guess it's his way of saying he did," Sam said.

"Ava, was that why you were walking funny this morning?" Morgan asked.

"Okay, I have to go now. Have a good evening, everyone," Ava said. "I'll see you later, Aaron," she added, petting his shoulder.

"See you, Ava," Aaron said, squeezing Ava's hand gently. "Actually, allow me to walk you out the door," he added. "Mason, if you don't mind, I will be walking Ava to the doors," he told his boss.

"Fine by me," the older security guard said.

"Thank you, sir," Aaron said with a nod, before walking with Ava. Once they reached the door, Aaron held Ava's hands, and he kissed her through their masks. Their coworkers cheered for them.

"Well, since they kind of figured out what was going on, let's give them another show," Ava suggested.

"Great idea," Aaron agreed, and they both kissed again.

James walked by and said, "I had the feeling that was going to happen. Pay up, guys."

Mason, Sam, and Liam groaned as they each handed James $20 bills.

"I'll catch you later," Ava said to Aaron.

"Yep, catch you later," Aaron said, kissing Ava again.


	9. A Night Out

***8:00 PM***

Ava was sitting in her room listening to music when her phone rang, a call from Aaron, so she picked up.

"Hello," she responded.

 _"We should drive around,"_ Aaron said on the other line.

"Sounds lovely to me," Ava agreed.

 _"Alright, I'll pick you up in 15 minutes,"_ Aaron told her.

"Okay, see you in 15," Ava said. They both said their goodbyes and hung up.

* * *

"Beautiful as always," Aaron said as Ava went in his car.

"Thank you," Ava said, smoothing out her ponytail.

"Just saying the truth. You truly are beautiful," Aaron said, driving off.

"And you're the most handsome guy I've ever met," Ava said.

"Thank you, Ava," Aaron said, gently placing his hand on Ava's knee, before placing it back on the steering wheel.

The two of them sat happily as Aaron drove, "Red Light" by Tiesto softly playing.

"Ava," he said.

"Yeah?" she responded.

"I just wanted to ask this out of curiosity, but if you could, would you run away with me?" he asked her.

"Absolutely," she told him. "Would you run away with me?" she asked.

"Hell yeah," he said.

As Aaron kept driving, "The Night Is Still Young" by Nicki Minaj started playing.

After driving for thirty minutes, he found an empty park and stopped there.

"Let's do some stargazing," he said, shutting off the engine. "You can have a seat on my lap if you want," he offered.

"Okay," Ava said as she scooted over to sit on Aaron's lap.

"You know, I'm so proud to call you my girlfriend," Aaron said, running his fingers through Ava's ponytail.

"And I'm so proud to call you my boyfriend," Ava said, kissing Aaron lovingly.


	10. Talk With The Bosses

***Tuesday, July 21, 8:00 AM***

Ava sat up and stretched her arms, excited for the day. She was so thankful she had the same days off as Aaron, and she was also thankful her boss allowed it.

She got up, got dressed, did her morning routine, then went downstairs to make breakfast. Her parents were already working so she had the house to herself until evening.

Her phone rang, signaling a text from Aaron:

_'Good morning, sunshine! Can't wait to spend more time with you! Although the boss man wants me to come to the mall later. Wanted to talk about something. Anyways, see you later! 🥰😘'_

She responded with: _'Good morning to you too! My boss actually messaged me last night saying to come to the mall later as well. Well, she said whenever I can. What a coincidence! Can't wait to spend more time with you though. 😍😘'_

She sighed in content as she ate a forkful of eggs.

***Security Office, 11:00 AM***

"Mason, you wanted to see me?" Aaron asked his boss.

"Ah, yes. Come in," Mason said, letting the younger security guard in. "Ava, you can come in if you want," he added.

"Okay," Ava said as she entered.

"Have a seat, you two," Mason said, gesturing to two chairs near the desk. "Before we get started, I just want to assure you that you're not in trouble. I just wanted to let you know I have no problem with you two dating," he added.

"Thank you, sir. I was getting kind of nervous," Aaron said.

"No reason to be nervous. As I said, you two can continue to be together. I just want you to tone down the PDA when you're working, even when only one of you is working. Especially you, Aaron, as a security guard. When you're in uniform, lives are in your hands. You must remain focused. You two can say hi to each other, but don't get distracted. Since you're obviously not working today, it won't be an issue, and you can do whatever you want. Just don't make out in front of me, because I don't want to see that. I also don't want to hear about the two of you engaging in sexual activity in the restrooms. You'll traumatize the poor cleaners," Mason told them.

"We're not that crazy," Aaron assured his boss.

"Good. You're free to go. Enjoy the rest of your day off," Mason said, dismissing the young couple.

***The Scarf Shop, back room, 11:20 AM***

"Kim, you wanted to talk to me about something?" Ava asked her boss, Kim.

"Yes, Ava. Have a seat," Kim said, gesturing to the chairs in front of her desk.

"I'll be out if you need me," Aaron told Ava.

"Actually, you can come in," Kim said, allowing Aaron in. "Have a seat, both of you," she added as they all sat down.

"I ship you two!" Carol squealed, walking past them, heading to the sales floor.

"Anyways, I've heard from Jasmine and Carol, especially Jasmine, that you two are together. Now I will let you know that I approve of your relationship. But Ava, when you're working and he stops by, don't show any PDA. You must remain professional at all times. You can say hi to each other, I just don't want to see you kissing. That's only when you're clocked in for work. Obviously now, you're off today so that won't be an issue," Kim said.

"Aaron, if you break her heart, the girls and I will kick you, and then wrap our hands around your neck and strangle you!" Jasmine warned.

"Jazz, he's a security guard. His coworkers will be after you. There will be no violence," Kim said.

"Sorry. Take care of her!" Jasmine said before going out to the sales floor.

"Anyways, I approve of you two," Kim assured the young couple.

"Thank you, Kim. It really means a lot to us," Ava said.

"No problem. You're free to go. Enjoy your day," Kim said, letting them go.

As soon as they walked out, they both sighed in relief.

"At least they approve of us," Aaron said, wrapping an arm around Ava.

"I know, right," Ava agreed, leaning her head on Aaron's shoulder.

They were both approached by James.

"Aaron! Hello, young lady. Anyways, Aaron. Mason wanted me to let you know that all security members have to do a monthly drug testing. We had to terminate Jeremy because we found out he was hiding marijuana," he said to Aaron.

"Do you mean Jeremy Thomas? He used to work with me at American Eagle 2 years ago. He always smelled like weed! Horrible person to work with," Ava said.

"That Jeremy Thomas. The thing is, he said he didn't do any drugs before his pre-employment testing, and no one smelled anything," James said.

"Obviously he started again after he was hired," Aaron said.

"I know. But yeah, I just wanted to remind you about the new policy. The beginning of every month, everyone in the security team has to drug test. It's a urine test, like you had to take before you were hired. Anyways, I don't want to hold you guys back. It is your day off after all. Enjoy your day, but refrain from sex, drugs, and alcohol. Although since you're both adults, if you want to have sex, please use protection. If you want to drink, drink responsibly. Don't get wasted. Absolutely no drugs. We will find out," James said.

"Drugs are for losers. And marijuana smells awful," Aaron said.

"I just wish marijuana was illegal again," Ava snapped.

"So do I, young lady," James said. "Anyways, I gotta get back to work. You two enjoy the rest of your day," he added before walking off.

"Now, where were we?" Aaron wondered.

"Oh yeah!" Ava said, and they both shared a kiss.

"What did I tell you?!" Mason asked.

Jasmine and Carol were squealing happily while clapping.

"Let's go somewhere private," Ava suggested.

"Yeah. Let's go," Aaron agreed.


	11. Tender Moments

***8:30 PM***

"It's so beautiful out here," Ava said. 

"Not as beautiful as you," Aaron told her. They were both hanging out at the backyard of Ava's house.

They both looked into each others' eyes before sharing a loving kiss.

"Ava, I know it's only been a month since we got together, but I already can't imagine my life without you," Aaron confessed.

"Aaron, I've been feeling the exact same way. Yeah, to others, it may be too soon. But everyone's different. You're the man of my dreams," Ava said.

"And you're the woman of my dreams," Aaron said. "Ava, I promise to protect you, and I promise to never hurt you," he told her.

"And I trust you to never hurt me," Ava said.

"You're everything to me," Aaron said.

They shared another tender kiss.


	12. Emergency

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *As I wrote this chapter, I was listening to "Medicine" by Daughter, on repeat, from the movie Five Feet Apart, and I couldn't stop crying.*

***Wednesday, July 22, 2:35 PM***

Ava was doing her job as the door greeter when she heard a gunshot go off, followed by people screaming.

"What the heck was that?!" Jasmine shrieked.

"Everyone, try to remain calm," Kim said, shutting the gates and locking it.

They noticed a group of security guards running past them, heading towards the area where the incident occurred.

"I have a 22-year-old male, gunshot wound on his left side," they heard Mason say on the phone as he ran to the others.

'Oh no,' Ava thought in her head. 'Aaron's 22!'

After 2 minutes, the security guard James ran towards the door of The Scarf Shop.

"Is everyone ok?" he asked them.

"What happened?" Ava asked.

"I'm normally not suppose to discuss this with others, but Ava, come with me," James said.

Ava was hesitant, and looked at Kim, who nodded at her, letting her go, and the younger woman went to the guard.

James sensed Ava's nervousness, but told her anyways. "Ava, sweetheart, there was a shooting going on, and Aaron got shot," he told her.

"No!" Ava cried.

"I'm sorry, dear. He's still alive. The paramedics took him and are on their way to the hospital right now. He did lose a lot of blood," James said.

"What happened?" Ava asked, tears spilling uncontrollably from her eyes.

"He and Sam were trying to deal with a customer who refused to wear a mask. The customer started attacking Sam. Aaron called for back up and tried to break up the fight between Sam and the customer, but the customer drew a gun and shot Aaron on his left side," James explained. "Don't worry, the police took the shooter and is going to lock them up," he added.

"Is Aaron going to be ok?" Ava asked.

"We are hoping. By the time the paramedics came, he already lost 35% of his blood," James said.

"What about Sam?" Ava wondered.

"Sam is uninjured, although he wanted to go to the hospital with Aaron, so we let him," James said. They heard his phone ring. "James speaking. Oh my god. Okay. It's going to be ok. Breathe, Sam. He's in surgery now? Okay, I will let her know," he said, then hung up.

"What's going on? What did Sam say? What did you mean by 'Breathe, Sam'? What's happening?" Ava panicked.

"Ava, sweetie, if you want, you can leave early. Go get your stuff. I'll let you get paid for your remaining hours. I'm going to clock you out," Kim said, rubbing her associate's shoulder.

"Okay, thank you, Kim," Ava said. She went to the back to grab her bags, then went back out, standing next to the security guard.

"I hope all goes well, Ava," Jasmine said.

"Praying for you, Aaron, and his family," Carol said.

All of Ava's coworkers gave her comforting pats on her back.

"Thanks, girls," Ava said before walking out with the guard.

"Ava, when Sam just called, by the time they got to the hospital, Aaron lost 65% of his blood and was in hypovolemic shock. He's currently in surgery now," James told her.

Ava was sobbing now. "What's the address to the hospital?" she asked.

"I'll drive you there. You're currently in no state of mind to drive now. Later, you can call your parents and have one of them pick up your car," James said.

"Okay," Ava said. "I'm going to call them," she added as they reached his car.

"Of course," James said, starting the car and driving off.

* * *

"Sam, any updates?" James asked, approaching his colleague with Ava following behind.

"Besides what I told you when I called, no. He's still in surgery," Sam said, pacing back and forth.

Ava sat down and cried again.

"What relation are you three to the patient?" a nurse asked.

"I'm one of his managers, Sam is his coworker, Ava is his girlfriend," James explained.

The nurse nodded while handing Ava a box of tissues.

"Ava!" she heard her parents, as well as Aaron's parents.

"Mom! Dad! Mr. and Mrs. Bennett!" Ava cried, hugging them.

"Oh sweetie!" Mrs. Bennett cried, hugging back.

Ava, her mother, and Aaron's mother all hugged each other, crying, while the fathers held their respective wives.

* * *

"Ava, sweetie," Mrs. McIntosh said, gently shaking her daughter to wake her.

"Is Aaron ok?" Ava asked, slowly opening her eyes.

"Well, it's a long surgery. He did lose more than half of his blood," James said.

Ava felt tears in her eyes again. "How long has it been?" she asked.

"It's been almost three hours now," Mr. McIntosh said.

"And unfortunately, no one knows exactly how long it'll take," Mr. Bennett said.

"But for now, we'll pray and be strong," James said.

"Aaron is a fighter. He's a tough one," Sam said. "And, Ava?" he added.

"Yeah?" Ava responded.

"Ava, before Aaron passed out from hypovolemic shock, he told me," Sam started.

"Told you what?" Ava asked.

"Ava, Aaron told me to tell you he loves you," Sam said.

The young female burst into tears again. She felt her parents' and Aaron's parents' arms around her.

"I love him too," Ava confessed.

A doctor and a nurse arrived, approaching the group.


	13. Visiting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group deals with a rude receptionist.

***5:45 PM***

A doctor approached Ava, her parents, Aaron's parents, Sam, and James.

"You must be Aaron's family and friends. I'm Dr. Scott Harris, and this is Nurse Elizabeth Ray," the doctor said.

"Where's my son? When can we see him? Is he ok?" Mrs. Bennett asked.

"The surgery went well. It was a miracle. Because of the amount of blood he lost, he did go into hypovolemic shock. He flatlined for one minute. We were getting ready to call it, until his heart started beating. He's still unconscious, but he is alive. The nurses are currently monitoring him right now in the recovery room. It is recommended that he remains asleep as his body is still healing," Dr. Harris explained.

"Sir? Did you just say he flatlined?" Sam asked.

"For one minute, yes," Dr. Harris said.

"We almost lost our baby," Mrs. Bennett cried as her husband hugged her.

A receptionist approached them.

"I'm sorry, but we cannot have this many visitors for one patient," she said. "You two need to leave," she told Sam and James.

"Ma'am, with all due respect, I rode with the patient on the way to the hospital. I was in the ambulance with him," Sam said.

"Well, only a family member was suppose to do that. And because of the virus going on. We can't have this many visitors. You all need to leave," the receptionist said.

"We're his parents," Mr. Bennett said, gesturing to his wife and himself.

"Erica, that's enough! They nearly lost a loved one, you need to show them respect!" Dr. Harris scolded the receptionist. "I'm so sorry about her. Yes, we really can't have this many visitors, but I trust that each and everyone of you is clean. Only for today, I will let it slide. But starting tomorrow, only two at a time can visit," he added.

"Dr. Harris! He's awake! He's still in pain, but I did give him some pain meds," a nurse said, approaching the doctor.

"Is he doing ok?" Mrs. Bennett asked.

"He is up now. Still hurting, but doing well. He kept mentioning an 'Ava'," the nurse said.

"He's asking for me?" Ava asked. "I'm Ava, by the way. His girlfriend," she added.

"Yes, he kept talking about wanting to see you, although he can't have any visitors for at least half an hour," the nurse said.

Ava fell to her knees.

"Miss, are you ok?" the nurse asked her.

"Ma'am, I almost lost him. We almost lost him. And I didn't even get to tell him I love him," Ava sobbed.

"Well, after half an hour, or when he's feeling up for it, you guys can go see him," the nurse assured them, and they all thanked her.


	14. Visiting, Part 2

***6:20 PM***

Another nurse approached the group. "If you guys want to see him, you can. Try not to stress him out, he's still groggy and sore, and he threw up a couple times due to the anesthetics, so I gave him some anti-nausea medication. But he requests to see you all," she said. "We have gloves for you to put on before you enter the room," she added.

"Thank you so much. We really appreciate you," Mrs. Bennett said, wiping her tears.

"It's my pleasure. And please call me Natalie," the nurse said.

"Thank you, Nurse Natalie," Mr. Bennett said, wrapping an arm around his wife.

The group then started walking until they reached the room, and they each sanitized their hands and put on gloves before entering.

"My baby!" Mrs. Bennett cried, walking towards Aaron's bed.

"Hi, Mom," Aaron greeted his mother.

"How are you feeling, son?" Mr. Bennett asked.

"Tired and sore," Aaron said. "Is the queen here?" he asked.

"Is that the medication talking? The Queen is in England," Sam joked.

"No, Sammy. I meant my queen," Aaron said.

"Oh my god! I'm so glad you're ok!" Ava cried, walking towards Aaron's bed, standing next to his parents.

"How's my beauty queen?" Aaron asked.

"Scared! I was so worried about you! I'm so sorry I wasn't there for you!" Ava said, wiping her tears.

"Sweetie, you were working. It wasn't your fault," Aaron assured her.

"The doctor told us you flatlined for a minute. We almost lost you. And I never got a chance to tell you I love you. And I do," Ava confessed.

"Ava, I'm so glad you feel that way, because I feel the exact same way about you. I love you too, Ava," Aaron said, reaching out to hold her hand.

"Hey. Thank you for helping me with that customer. You didn't deserve to get shot, and I'm so sorry for that. If anything, it should've been _me_ to be in the position you're in right now," Sam said.

"Sam, don't say that. I wanted to help you. I wasn't going to just stand there and let you take the hits. We're security brothers. I chose to step in to break up your fight. It was my choice," Aaron assured his colleague.

James pat Sam's shoulder. "Sam, don't say things like that, okay? It wasn't your fault," he told him, gently squeezing his shoulder. He turned to face Aaron. "We're glad you're doing ok, Aaron. Mason said you're taking a week off work," he said.

Aaron groaned.

"You have to, kiddo. So you can recover," Mr. Bennett said, gently ruffling his son's hair.

"Can I at least go outside?" Aaron asked.

"It's best if you spend the first three days indoors," Mrs. Bennett suggested.

"I'll help take care of you," Ava said.

"But you have to work tomorrow," Aaron reminded her.

"Actually, Kim texted me half an hour ago saying I can have the day off tomorrow. So I'll be with you all day for two days, but she wants me back on Saturday though," Ava said.

"Aaron, we're going to have you stay here overnight for tonight, but if all goes well tomorrow, you'll get to go home," Dr. Harris said.

"Good thing I packed you an overnight bag," Mrs. Bennett said.

"Can I stay with him?" Ava asked.

"Unfortunately, we cannot allow anyone to sleep in the same room as the patient. If the pandemic wasn't going on, sure. But because of everything going on around us, visitors cannot stay here overnight," Dr. Harris said.

"We understand," Mrs. Bennett said.

A nurse came in with a tray of food in her hands. "How are we all doing?" she asked, setting the tray down on the table next to Aaron's bed. "Here's your dinner, by the way," she told the young male.

"Thank you. I was getting hungry," Aaron said, grabbing the packet of saltines.

"Are you still feeling alright?" Ava asked.

"I'm actually doing better now, I just want to go home," Aaron said, dipping a cracker into the chicken noodle soup.

"I know, sweetie. But the doctor and nurses want to keep you here tonight just to observe and make sure everything is ok," Mrs. Bennett said.

"I know, I get it," Aaron groaned, eating the cracker. "Want some?" he offered his food to Ava.

"No thank you," Ava said.

"If you guys want, I could get you something from McDonald's," James offered the group.

"Fuck, I want McDonald's!" Aaron said.

"Son, you can't have anything heavy for a couple days," Mr. Bennett said.

"Not even a few fries? Come on! This soup is good, by the way," Aaron said. "The noodles are delicious!" he added. "You sure you don't want to try a noodle?" he offered Ava.

"I'm sure, but thank you though," Ava chuckled.

***7:30 PM***

"If you need anything else, just give us a call," Mrs. Bennett said.

"Alright, thanks, Mom," Aaron said.

"We will pick you up tomorrow," Mr. Bennett said.

"I know. Love you, Dad. Love you, Mom," Aaron told them.

"We love you too, Aaron," his parents said.

"Remember, one week off work," James reminded him. "Take it easy, kid," he added.

"We'll see you in a week. Take care," Sam said, ruffling Aaron's hair.

"We'll see you soon, Aaron," Mr. and Mrs. McIntosh said, gently patting the younger male's shoulders.

"See ya, guys," Aaron said.

"If you get bored, just message me. I love you," Ava said, kissing Aaron's cheek softly.

"Will do! I love you too, Ava," Aaron told her.

Everyone said their goodbyes, then walked out the door.

Aaron took out his phone and smiled while looking at a picture of him and Ava.


	15. Another Way To Recover

***Thursday, July 23, 12:05 AM***

Ava was laying in her bed, trying to sleep, when her phone rang. She turned on her lamp and checked her phone, and it was a FaceTime call from Aaron.

"Hey," she responded.

 _"Hey, beautiful,"_ Aaron said back. _"Did I wake you? Sorry if I did,"_ he added.

"No, you're fine. I've actually been awake. Can't sleep," Ava said.

 _"I can't sleep either. It's so boring in here. I'm bored,"_ Aaron whined.

"Let's talk until one of us falls asleep," Ava suggested. "I just wish you're here with me right now," she added.

 _"Me too! I just want to hold you in my arms,"_ Aaron said.

"Tonight is just one of those nights," Ava said.

 _"What do you mean?"_ Aaron asked.

"I have this feeling in my veins," Ava said.

 _"I know how you feel,"_ Aaron said. _"Are you feeling aroused?"_ he asked her.

"Kind of," Ava said, blushing.

 _"So am I,"_ Aaron told her.

"But you can't do anything, you just had surgery," Ava reminded him.

 _"We can't have sex for two weeks, but that doesn't mean I can't watch you play with yourself. I'd probably pump myself a little bit as well,"_ Aaron said with a wink.

Ava squeezed her thighs shut. "Damnit," she groaned.

 _"Come on, sweetie. Show me those tits,"_ Aaron said.

"So you want a strip show, huh?" Ava teased, lowering the straps of her silky black nightgown.

 _"Oh yeah, now we're talking,"_ Aaron said, trying to hold back a moan. _"I want to see your entire body. Remove your underwear and spread your legs. I want a view of your pussy,"_ he added.

Ava moaned as she removed her thong, and spread her legs. She positioned her phone so Aaron can get a view of her vagina.

 _"Damn. I just want to eat you out right now. I wish I could finger that sweet pussy of yours, and then slide my cock inside,"_ Aaron said.

"As much as masturbating feels so good, you do a better job at pleasuring me," Ava moaned as she rubbed her clit.

She then heard a knock on the door in the background.

 _"Are you fucking kidding me?"_ Aaron groaned. _"Sorry, babe. I think the nurse wants to check up on me. I'm gonna put my phone down,"_ he told Ava, who nodded, then put his phone down.

Ava was now staring at a black screen while listening to the conversation.

 _"Hello, Aaron. We just want to make sure everything is ok,"_ she heard another male voice.

 _"Yeah, Nurse Jeffery, everything's great. Just trying to sleep. Good night,"_ Aaron said.

 _"Good night. We will see you in a few hours,"_ Nurse Jeffery said.

Ava heard the door click shut, and saw the hospital room again.

 _"Sorry about that. Now where was I? Oh yeah. I want you to stick two fingers in your pussy, just like that,"_ Aaron moaned.

Ava noticed he was starting to rub himself. "I just wish you were here," she moaned, slowly fingering herself.

 _"I know I'm not suppose to do this, but fuck it. I'm horny. I just wish you were here to suck my cock, and then ride me,"_ Aaron said as he started stroking himself. He positioned his phone so Ava can get a look at his cock.

The two of them kept pleasuring themselves until they reached their orgasms at the same time.

"Wow. That was lovely," Ava said, catching her breath.

 _"Damn right it was,"_ Aaron agreed. _"Great. Now I'm sticky and messy. Good thing I have tissues next to me,"_ he added, grabbing some tissues to wipe himself clean.

Ava then heard the door open in the background again.

 _"Oh shit,"_ Aaron said, putting his phone down, so Ava was staring at a black screen again, listening to the conversation.

 _"Aaron! Are you ok?!"_ she heard Nurse Natalie ask.

 _"Your heart rate suddenly went up,"_ Nurse Jeffery said.

 _"There's tissues on his table,"_ Nurse Natalie said.

 _"Seriously? Aaron, did you just.... Oh my god. You weren't the first one to do that,"_ Nurse Jeffery sighed.

 _"Sorry, I was talking to my girlfriend,"_ Aaron told them.

 _"Just don't scare us like that again. We were getting ready to call code blue,"_ Nurse Natalie said.

 _"Alright, sorry,"_ Aaron said.

 _"Okay, we'll see you in a few hours. Get some rest. Good night,"_ Nurse Jeffery said.

Ava listened to the door click shut again, and saw the hospital room.

 _"Wow, that was.... interesting,"_ Aaron said.

"Yeah, I'll say," Ava said.

 _"Honey, you should get some rest. I know you're tired,"_ Aaron told her.

Ava sighed. "Alright. I will see you later though. I'll be coming over," she said.

 _"Of course. I'll see you later. I love you, sweetheart,"_ Aaron said.

"I love you too, sweetie," Ava said. They both blew kisses to each other, then hung up.

Ava placed her phone down on her nightstand, shut off her lamp, and laid down closing her eyes, sleep finally taking over.


	16. Home Again

_"Oh Aaron! Yes! Yes!" Ava moaned as Aaron slid his fingers in and out of her cunt._

_"Fuck, Ava! Your pussy is so tight," Aaron cooed, taking his fingers out._

_Ava frowned until Aaron kissed her, and she felt the tip of his cock at her opening-_

*BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP*

Ava sat up and shut off her alarm. It was 8:00 AM and she was going to see Aaron at the hospital at 9:30. She got up to do her morning routine, get dressed, then went down to make breakfast. Her phone rang, and she checked it, receiving a text from Aaron:

_'I miss you so much! 😭 I can't wait to see you later! 😊'_

She smiled and texted back:

_'I miss you too! Can't wait to see you! 😘'_

She received another response:

_'The bacon is good! 😋 But the eggs taste like cardboard! And the toast is like eating a brick! They even gave me prune juice! 😣'_

"Aw," Ava said softly, feeling bad for her boyfriend. She messaged back:

_'Don't worry. Tomorrow, I'll make you a nicer breakfast. 😘'_

Her phone rang again:

_'Thank you! You're the best! The doctor and nurses are here. I'll talk to you later. 😘'_

She sipped her orange juice and texted back:

_'Ok. See you later. 😘'_

***9:00 AM***

"Ava, sweetie, come in," Mrs. Bennett greeted, letting the younger woman into her home.

"Good morning, Ava. We're just cleaning up. We'll leave in 10 minutes. Did you want anything to eat?" Mr. Bennett offered.

"I'm ok, but thank you," Ava politely declined.

"Alright. If you want, we can all carpool to the hospital together," Mr. Bennett suggested.

"That's a great idea," Mrs. Bennett agreed.

* * *

"Bored. So bored," Aaron mumbled.

"Aaron, your parents and girlfriend are here," Nurse Jeffery said, allowing the three in.

"Good morning, Mom and Dad, and sweetheart," Aaron greeted them.

"My baby. How are you feeling?" Mrs. Bennett asked.

"Still slightly sore on my left side, but it is getting better. Much better than yesterday, actually," Aaron told her.

"Glad to hear that you're doing better," Mr. Bennett said.

"He is showing signs of improving. He's healing quite fast. Still needs to be careful and take it easy though," Nurse Natalie said.

"Well, I've always had a really high pain tolerance," Aaron said.

"Honey, even though you have a high pain tolerance, you can't ignore it," Ava said.

"I know, sweetie," Aaron said, kissing Ava's cheek softly.

"And make sure to not engage in any sexual activity for 2 weeks," Nurse Natalie said, making the younger couple blush.

"We're virgins," Aaron lied. Luckily, his parents believed him.

"Good. Keep it that way until you're married," Mrs. Bennett said.

* * *

"Feels good to be home!" Aaron said, laying down on the couch.

"Welcome home, son," Mr. Bennett said.

"We missed you last night," Mrs. Bennett said, kissing her son's forehead gently.

"Don't worry. I'll help take care of you," Ava said.


	17. Recovering

***11:00 AM***

"I'm staying over tonight," Ava said, carrying her overnight bag, placing it down.

"Sweet! Sucks that you have to take the guest room though. Only because my parents are here," Aaron whined.

"I know, right," Ava said.

"Yeah. But I did a lot of thinking, and I know it's still early, but when the time comes, want to move in together? You don't have to answer that right now, it's no pressure at all," Aaron said.

"I've actually been thinking about that too! And while it is still early, when the time is right, yeah, I'd like that," Ava said. "We still have to get used to using the bathroom in front of each other. I don't mean _literally_ in front of each other though," she added.

"I get what you mean," Aaron laughed.

"Yeah. Anyways, when did you take your medication? The doctor did say take them every 6 hours," Ava said.

"I took them at 8:30. But they told me if pain is completely gone, I could stop taking them," Aaron told her.

"Okay. How are you feeling now though?" Ava asked.

"I'm actually feeling better than this morning. I mean, this morning, the pain wasn't so bad, it was tolerable, really. Better than yesterday. But now, I can barely feel it," Aaron said. His phone rang. "Oh, Mason just texted. He said the shooter is now spending a lifetime in prison," he added.

"Good! They deserve it!" Ava said.

"They sure do. But all because of a mask? Come on, people! It's that easy. Just put a mask on," Aaron said.

"I know! If healthcare professionals have to wear them for several hours, you should be able to handle 15 minutes at the grocery store, or an hour at the mall. Wear a damn mask," Ava said.

"Exactly," Aaron agreed.

"Karens _do_ exist!" Ava said.

"They're everywhere," Aaron said.

"Watch out for them. Now, if you two are hungry, I made chicken noodle soup," Mrs. Bennett said.

"Awesome! Thanks, Mom," Aaron said.

"Thank you. It smells amazing!" Ava said, getting up. "I'll get you a bowl," she said to Aaron.

"Actually, the doctor wants me to move around, but thank you though," Aaron said, getting up to follow Ava to the kitchen.

Once they had their bowls, they sat at the table and started eating.

"This soup is delicious," Ava said, closing her eyes and savoring the flavor.

"Thank you, sweetheart. I'm glad you like it. I made enough for seconds," Mrs. Bennett said.

"I'm definitely getting seconds," Ava said.

"Want to watch a movie after lunch?" Aaron asked.

"Yeah, I'd love that," Ava told him.


	18. Five Feet Apart

***Thursday, July 23, 12:30 PM***

"What movie do you want to watch?" Aaron asked, going through Hulu.

"I kind of want to watch Five Feet Apart. My friends told me I'll cry, so in way, I don't want to see it, but at the same time, I do," Ava said.

"We can watch it. If you feel like it's too much for you to handle, we'll stop," Aaron told her.

"Alright, sounds good," Ava said.

* * *

 _"Five feet apart. Deal? Are you in?"_ Stella asked, holding a five foot long stick towards Will.

 _"I'm so in,"_ Will said after hesitating for a minute.

"This reminds me of us," Ava whispered.

"I know. Our first kiss," Aaron whispered back.

"And our first time holding hands," Ava said.

"Our first time hanging out. Our first official date," Aaron said.

* * *

 _"He was my best friend, and I never fucking hugged him!"_ Stella sobbed, grieving over the death of her best friend, Poe.

Ava cried along, with Aaron rubbing her back to comfort her, blinking away the tears forming in his eyes.

Mr. and Mrs. Bennett came to check on the younger couple.

"Ava, sweetie, are you ok? I heard someone crying," Mrs. Bennett said, concerned.

"I'm fine. I just never cried this much from a movie before," Ava cried, wiping her tears.

"What are you watching?" Mr. Bennett asked, handing Ava an extra box of tissues.

"Five Feet Apart," Aaron said, rubbing Ava's back and shoulders.

"I heard that it's a really sad movie," Mrs. Bennett said, running her fingers through Ava's hair.

"It is!" Ava sobbed.

"Honey, if you want to stop watching, we can," Aaron assured her.

"No, let's keep watching," Ava said, wiping her tears again.

"Ok," Aaron said, kissing her forehead softly.

* * *

 _"Human touch. Our first form of communication. Safety, security, comfort, all in the gentle caress of a finger. Or the brush of lips on a soft cheek. It connects us when we're happy, bolsters us in times of fear, excites us in times of passion and love. We need that touch from the one we love, almost as much as we need air to breathe. But I never understood the importance of touch. His touch. Until I couldn't have it. So if you're watching this, and you're able, touch him. Touch her. Life's too short to waste a second,"_ Stella said in her video.

"She's absolutely right," Aaron said, wiping Ava's tears and kissing her forehead softly.

"Yes, she is," Ava agreed. "This movies sends a lot of messages though," she added.

"It does. Embrace those around you now, because tomorrow is never promised," Aaron said.

"As Stella said, life's too short to waste a second," Ava said, touching Aaron's cheek softly.

"Another thing, be thankful we're healthy. Will and Stella loved each other so much, but they can't be close together. Like you and me," Aaron said, placing his forehead on Ava's.

"That's so true," Ava said as the two of them closed their eyes and held each other.

"I'm so glad I got the chance to talk to you. To get to know you, despite COVID-19 going on. At least we both tested negative, and I'm extremely grateful for that," Aaron said. "I promise to never take advantage of you, and I promise to never take you for granted," he added, holding her hands, squeezing them softly.

"Same here. Especially after what happened, that made me realize how much I love you. I don't ever want to let you go. And I won't. I love you so much, Aaron," Ava said.

"I won't let you go either. I love you too, Ava," Aaron said, kissing her lovingly.


	19. Off To Work For Her

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ava is under so much pressure at work.

***Saturday, July 25, 10:48 AM***

"I miss you so much already," Ava said through her phone, locking her car and walking towards the mall.

 _"I miss you too, beautiful. And you kind of sound like Kenny from South Park,"_ Aaron laughed from the other line.

"Blame the mask," Ava laughed along.

 _"Have fun at work, okay? Don't worry about me. Besides, my parents are here to take care of me,"_ Aaron said.

"I know, sweetie," Ava said, entering the store.

 _"Alright. I'm going to let you work now. I'll talk to you later, sweetheart. I love you,"_ Aaron said.

"I'll see you later. I love you too," Ava said. They said their goodbyes then hung up.

"Hey, Ava, welcome back. How's Aaron doing?" Kim asked.

"Hi, Kim. He's actually doing better. He's been improving a lot the past couple days," Ava said, putting her purse in her locker.

"That's good to hear. Do you know when he's coming back to work?" Kim asked.

"Yeah, he comes back next Saturday, but his shifts will be shorter, four or five hours, and Mason wants him to be on office and surveillance duty for the time being," Ava said.

"Well, I'm glad to hear that he's doing better," Kim said.

"Thank you, so am I," Ava said, clocking in.

"Now, Ava, I hope I don't offend you, and I apologize if I upset you, but I thought gunshot wounds take a long time to heal," Kim said.

"I thought so to. I hear that a person would have to stay in the hospital for about a week for a gunshot wound. I was really scared because he lost a lot of blood, but the doctor said the bullet wasn't deep, and it didn't hit any of his organs, luckily. They gave him four pints of blood. He was able to go home the day after. Now he's going through work withdrawals and he wants to come back," Ava said.

"Well, tell him to take it easy for right now," Kim said.

"I know. I've been telling him that," Ava said. "By the way, the shooter is spending a lifetime in prison," she added.

"Good," Kim said.

* * *

"Miss, I heard about your boyfriend."

"Ma'am, is your boyfriend still in the hospital?"

"You're dating one of the security guards, right? I heard about what happened."

"The shooter should rot in hell!"

"I'm sorry for your loss, sweetheart."

"I heard he _almost_ died."

"How much blood did he lose?"

"Your boyfriend is a brave man."

"He's practically just a kid!"

All the customers were really bothering Ava, and she tried to keep it all together and not explode.

"Alright, that's enough! Anybody who wants to bring up Ava's boyfriend can leave! She's going through a rough time right now, so please! Show her respect!" Jasmine said.

"Jasmine, stop. Ava, if you want to go to the back, you can. Charlotte, can you watch the door?" Kim asked.

"Of course. Send my regards to Ava," another associate, Charlotte, said.

***Bathroom***

Ava sat on the floor, crying, until she heard a knock on the door.

"Ava, it's me. Are you ok in there?" Jasmine asked through the door.

"I don't even know anymore," Ava said, getting up and opening the door. "I come back to work after two days, only to be bombarded with questions and comments about everything that happened Wednesday," she added.

"Don't worry, Ava. I kind of gave them a piece of their minds. Security is currently talking to them right now," Jasmine said.

"I just don't want a repeat of what happened," Ava said.

"Neither do I, Ava," Jasmine said, gently rubbing her associate's back. 


	20. His Comfort

***6:00 PM***

"Ava, sweetie, you can go home now," Kim said.

"Don't worry. I'll take care of the rest of this," Carol said, gesturing to the box Ava was working on.

"Thank you. I really appreciate it," Ava said. She had a rough work day. Customers were harassing her about the incident, and on top of that, her period started. She was very grateful that Kim allowed her to work at the back room. 'Just two more days until Tuesday,' she thought in her mind as she got her bags, then clocked out.

"Bye, Ava!" her coworkers said.

"Bye, girls!" Ava said back.

"We hope you feel better, Ava," Charlotte said.

"Thank you, Charlotte," Ava said, then she walked out.

As soon as she walked out of the mall, she ran straight for her car and went in. She removed her mask and took out her phone to text Aaron:

_'Work sucked. Customers wouldn't shut up. Period started. I'm going home to change into comfy clothes, and I'm coming over. 😢'_

After a minute, she got a response:

_'Of course you can come over. 😘 I'm going to ask my parents if they can give you the spare key. 😊'_

His message made her smile, and her phone rang again:

_'They'll give it to you! 😊 I already cleared out half of my closet so you can put some of your clothes in. I even cleared out half of the cabinets in my bathroom too. My parents now trust us on sharing a bed.'_

Ava smiled and texted back:

_'Thank you so much! And I'm so glad we can share a bed again. I love our cuddles. 😘🥰 I'm going to start driving now, talk to you later. 😘'_

Her phone rang:

_'Ok. Drive safe 😘'_

* * *

"I'm home!" Ava called out.

"Hey, sweetie. How was work?" Mrs. McIntosh asked her daughter.

"Awful," Ava said, going up to her room.

"Want to talk about it?" Mrs. McIntosh asked through the door.

"No," Ava said, coming back out. She was now dressed in a hoodie and sweatpants.

"Well, Ava, your father and I want to talk to you about something," Mrs. McIntosh said, gesturing her daughter to follow her to the living room.

"What is it?" Ava asked.

"Ava, we've been doing a lot of thinking," Mr. McIntosh started.

"You are a grown woman now, and we've decided we're trusting you and Aaron sharing a bed. We trust that you two won't get.... frisky. He is a gentleman, and as long as he doesn't pressure you to do anything you're not comfortable with, he has our trust," Mrs. McIntosh said.

"Really? Because before driving home from work, Aaron texted me, saying the same thing. His parents trust us on sharing a bed," Ava said.

"Yeah, we had that conversation as you were driving on your way home. We're even giving him the spare key," Mr. McIntosh said.

"Oh my god! You guys are the best! Thank you so much!" Ava said, hugging her parents.

"No problem, sweetheart. Now, I believe he's waiting for you," Mrs. McIntosh said.

"Thank you again," Ava said, taking the spare key.

* * *

"Hey, sweetie," Aaron greeted, kissing Ava softly.

"Hey, sweetheart," Ava said. "Here's the spare key to my house," she added.

"And here's the spare key to mine," Aaron said.

"I'm so glad we can share a bed now," Ava said.

"So am I. Now, what happened at work?" Aaron asked.

Ava then broke down, and Aaron immediately wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight.

"It was awful! People wouldn't stop bringing up the incident," Ava sobbed. "To make things worse, my period started," she added.

"Oh, sweetheart. I'm so sorry," Aaron said, kissing Ava's forehead softly.

"And I'm hungry," Ava cried.

"You didn't eat yet?" Aaron asked her.

"No. My mom made liver and onions," Ava mumbled.

"Well, if it makes you feel better, my mom made macaroni and cheese with chicken and broccoli," Aaron said.

"Your mom makes the best dinners," Ava said.

"We even bought chocolate muffins. Although, I can't have sugar as I'm still recovering, feel free to grab a muffin," Aaron told her.

"Seriously, you guys are the best," Ava said.

"After dinner, we can watch a movie, a happy movie, and cuddle," Aaron suggested.

"I like the sound of that," Ava agreed, finally smiling.

"There's that smile I know and love," Aaron said, kissing Ava softly.


	21. Back To Work For Him

***1 week later, Saturday, August 1, 10:30 AM***

"Get in, sweetheart! We're going to work!" Ava called out from her car.

"Hey, baby," Aaron greeted, getting into Ava's car.

"Hey, boo-boo. You excited to go back to work?" Ava asked as she drove off.

"Hell yeah! I miss everyone. Was about to lose my mind," Aaron told her. "So that's how quarantine felt," he added.

"Pretty much, yeah. Try 3 months," Ava said.

"That would've been torture," Aaron said.

"It was," Ava said.

***10:50 AM, Aaron's POV***

"I'll see you later, sweetie," Ava said.

"See you later, love," I said to her, giving her a quick kiss before letting her go. After I saw her going into her store, I went into the security office. "Guess who's back?" I called out to my coworkers.

"Aaron! Welcome back!" Sam and Liam greeted me. They ran towards me and were about to give me a hug, but stopped themselves, and we elbow bumped instead.

"Welcome back, Aaron. I brought cupcakes," Mason said, placing a box of chocolate and vanilla cupcakes on the table. "By the way, Aaron, as I told you before, your shifts will be shorter for right now, and you will be on office and surveillance duty," he told me.

"I know," I said, clocking in.

"Or, you can get on one of the Segways if you really want to go around the mall," Mason offered.

"I'm ok. I hate those things," I said.

"Come on, kid! Segways are great for going around the mall," my coworker Frank said, putting on a helmet before getting on a Segway and rolling out.

"And it's like riding a bike. I know you like riding bikes," Mason said.

"I do. I love riding bikes. But riding a Segway and riding a bike are two different things. I look ridiculous on a Segway. Plus, I really love walking, and I'd rather walk around the mall than take a Segway," I said.

"Alright. Whatever you say, kid," Mason laughed. "Office and surveillance duty for a few days," he added.

"Yes, sir." I said.

"Okay. If you're taking any medication, be careful in case you experience any side effects," Mason reminded me.

"Thank you, but I actually stopped taking them on Sunday. I'm not in any pain anymore," I said.

"That's good to know. I'm impressed! You healed fast. What are you, Wolverine?" Mason joked.

"Seems like it," I joked along.

"But really though, still take it easy. And remember, we do have a new policy. All members of security has to do a drug test every month. So on your day off, or whenever you can, make the time to go to a clinic and take your drug test. I know you just had surgery, so it is a possibility that you might still have some of that medication in your system, but since you stopped taking the medication, I'm sure you'll be fine," Mason said.

"I know. Thanks, Mason," I said.

"Anytime, kid," Mason said, gently patting my shoulder.


	22. Bathroom Shenanigans

***3:05 PM, Ava's POV***

I was standing near the front door, opening new scarves, when Aaron walked in, holding a little chocolate cupcake with pink frosting.

"Oh hey, sweetie," I greeted him.

"Hey, sweetheart," he greeted back. "I'm done for the day. Boss brought cupcakes, so here's one for you," he added, handing me the cupcake.

"Thank you so much!" I said. I wanted to start eating but I had my mask on.

"No problem, love. When you're on your break, meet me in the family restroom between Sections 2 and 3," he reminded me. "I will see you later," he added.

"Okay, see you later," I said.

"I'll be waiting for you," he said, patting my shoulder before walking out.

"Ava, Kim said you can go on your break now. I'll take over for you," Morgan told me.

"Thank you so much, Morgan," I said to her.

"No problem! Enjoy your break," Morgan said.

"Thank you," I said before walking to the back. As soon as went to the back room, I removed my mask and ate my cupcake in four bites. It was delicious! All I brought for my lunch was a banana, but I could always eat that later. Aaron wants me to meet him in the bathroom so that's where I'll be going. I grabbed a drink of water, took my purse, put my mask back on, then clocked out.

"Enjoy your break, Ava," Kim said.

"Thank you," I said, then walked out. I took out my phone and called Aaron. "If you're already in the bathroom, unlock the door. I'm literally two feet away," I told him.

 _"You got it,"_ Aaron said, then he hung up.

As soon as I reached the family bathroom, I got in, locked the door, and put my purse on the door hook.

"You wanted to see me?" I asked teasingly. I removed my mask and placed it in the pocket of my purse.

"Yes, I did," Aaron said, placing his hands on my waist.

"Well, make it quick. I have less than 30 minutes," I reminded him.

"You have no idea how much I've wanted to do this," Aaron said, kissing me roughly.

"Wait. I thought you couldn't have sex for another week," I said.

"I know. But I've missed you so much. I won't actually penetrate you, as much as I want to, but I really do want to eat you out," he told me, kissing me again.

Damn. Hearing those words really turned me on. "Okay. Go for it," I told him.

He lifted me and placed me on top of the sink. Oh how I've dreamed of him doing this to me. He knelt down, lifted up my dress, spread my legs, pushed my panties to the side, and licked my pussy.

"Oh fuck! Aaron!" I moaned, running my fingers through his hair.

"Ava, you taste amazing," he said.

I felt him sliding his fingers in me as he sucked my clit. He found the sweet spot that had me weak at my knees.

"I'm so fucking close!" I moaned again.

He fingered me harder, constantly rubbing on my G-spot as he sucked on my clit, and I reached my orgasm. After a few seconds, he took his fingers out and sucked them clean.

"Oh my god," I said, catching my breath while adjusting my clothes, getting off the sink.

"I know. It's your turn," he said, standing up and kissing me, making me taste myself.

***Aaron's POV***

I watched as Ava got on her knees. I love seeing her in this position, on her knees, mouth open, ready to take my cock.

I unzipped my pants, and took my cock out, stroking it a little, then placed it in front of her mouth.

"It's not going to suck itself," I told her.

She stuck her tongue out and licked the tip. That little tease!

"Delicious," she said, and she finally took the rest of my cock in her mouth.

"Fuck! Ava," I moaned, grabbing onto her ponytail. I tried not to thrust hard into her mouth, but I couldn't help it.

As she kept sucking me off, I felt her massaging my balls, and it was the best feeling in the world!

"I'm not gonna last much longer," I told her.

"Let it out," she said, sucking the tip of my cock harder while continuously massaging my balls, enough for me to cum in her mouth. She swallowed every drop of it.

"Damn, babe," I said to her, catching my breath while sticking my cock back in my pants, zipping it up.

She stood up and kissed me, making me taste myself.

"You taste amazing," she told me.

"So do you," I said.

"This was fun," she said.

"It sure was," I agreed.

"We should do this again sometime. Just try not to get caught," she said.

"You know, I like the sound of that," I told her.

"Yeah. I still have 15 minutes of my break left," she reminded me.

"Okay, I'll walk you back," I offered as we put our masks back on, and left the bathroom. I noticed one of the cleaners, Francine, standing near the door. "Ava had a bloody nose, so I helped her," I told her.

"Alright, I believe you," Francine said. "Don't worry. I won't tell anyone," she whispered.

"I'm gonna take Ava back to work," I said, trying to escape the awkwardness. Ava and I both waved at her before walking away.

"Oh my god, I feel so bad now. I love Francine! She sometimes stops by my store to shop for her daughters and granddaughters," Ava said.

"I know. I don't want to scar her for life," I agreed.

"Well, here we are," she said as we stood in front of her store.

"Alright, I'll see you later, sweetie. I love you," I said to her.

"I love you too. I'll see you later," she said, kissing me softly. After she went into the store, I took out my phone to call my mom to pick me up.


	23. A Very Eventful Surveillance Duty

***Sunday, August 2, 12:00 PM, Aaron's POV***

Just another day of office and surveillance duty.

I looked at every screen, people were just walking around, shopping, or doing whatever. I saw one person walk by and flip off a camera. Well that was very friendly. At another screen, a person waved at the camera. Hello to you too. I looked at another screen, and a person with their mask on their chin stuck their tongue out at the camera. Please keep your mask over your nose and mouth, thank you. I saw Liam walk by at another screen. On another screen, I saw Frank rolling on his Segway.

In this one specific screen though, I saw a father and son standing near the door outside of the restrooms, probably waiting for someone, and it looks like they're about to play a little game of baseball.

"Who in their rightful mind would play baseball indoors?" I thought out loud. I watched as the son was getting his bat ready as his father was about to pitch. I kept my eyes on the screen, and said, "You better not break anything. Hey batter, batter, batter, batter, swing- OH SHIT!"

I cannot believe what just happened!

"Aaron, you ok?" James asked me.

"Yeah, I'm good. I just witnessed a father and son playing baseball, father pitched the ball, and let's just say the son had "perfect aiming", not really. So the kid hit the ball, the ball went straight for the man's crotch," I explained.

"Ouch. I hope the dad is ok," James said.

"I know, right. Oh, look. He seems fine now. That did look painful though," I said, looking at the screen.

I looked at another screen and saw a kid puking on the floor. Carpeted floor. Great.

"Hey, a child just vomited on the floor in Section 7," I said in my radio.

 _"On my way to clean it up,"_ I heard Juanita, one of the mall's cleaners, say.

Just one hour down, three more to go.


	24. A Relaxing Morning With A Hint Of Future Talk

***Tuesday, August 4, 5:00 AM 3rd Person POV***

"Ava, sweetie, are you awake?" Aaron asked.

"Yeah, I woke up 5 minutes ago," Ava said, entering Aaron's room, startling him. She was dressed in a pink tank top with black leggings, and a black hoodie.

"Oh my god, you scared me," Aaron said, putting his hand over his chest.

"I thought security guards weren't suppose to be easily scared," Ava joked, putting her toiletries in her overnight bag. "Sorry. But anyways, yeah. I woke up 5 minutes ago because I had to pee, so I got up and I thought might as well get ready already," she added, tying her hair up in a ponytail. They both wanted to get up super early so they could drive around and watch the sunrise.

"It's all good. I'm gonna go get ready now," Aaron said, then left to go to the bathroom.

After 5 minutes, he came back in and changed out of his pajamas into a dark blue shirt with black jeans, and a black hoodie.

"Ready?" he asked after tying his shoes.

"Ready," she confirmed, grabbing her keys and purse.

As they left his room, the door to his parents' room opened and his mother stepped out.

"Where are you two going? It's 5:05," Mrs. Bennett said.

"We're just going to drive around. We want to watch the sunrise," Aaron told his mother.

"Ok, be safe. You might want to eat something before you leave, so you have energy," Mrs. Bennett suggested.

"We will. Thanks, Mom," Aaron said.

"No problem," Mrs. Bennett said before going back to her room.

The younger couple made it downstairs and went to the kitchen to make breakfast. They both had scrambled eggs with toast.

"Damn, I wanted to eat an everything bagel, but I have to do my drug test at noon," Aaron said. "Apparently you fail a drug test if you eat anything with poppy seeds," he added.

"How is that possible? Almost everyone has eaten something with poppy seeds. Bagels, bread, muffins, cake. Heck, I love poppy seed muffins!" Ava said.

"So do I! But for some reason, it's considered a "drug", I don't know why," Aaron said.

"That's crazy," Ava said.

"I know," Aaron agreed.

***Park, 6:00 AM***

"I love mornings," Aaron said, wrapping an arm around Ava's shoulders. Country music was playing softly from his phone. 'Got What I Got' by Jason Aldean was currently playing.

"So do I," Ava agreed, leaning her head on Aaron's shoulder. They were sitting on top of a beach towel on the grass. "We need to do this more. At least on the days we don't work. We're both off the same days anyways so let's get up at 5 AM to watch the sunrise," she said.

"I was thinking the exact same thing! Let's do it," Aaron said. He played with Ava's hair, picking up a blonde highlight, twisting it with her natural brunette color. "Your hair is so soft. And it smells so good," he added.

"Thank you," Ava giggled.

"No problem," Aaron said. "I love being able to wake up next to you," he told her.

"Same here," Ava said.

They both sat in comfortable silence, until Aaron spoke up again.

"I want to ask you something, and you don't have to answer it right now, but I was just curious. What do you think about kids?" he asked her. "And again, you don't have to answer that right now if you're not comfortable," he quickly assured her.

Ava chuckled. "It's fine. And to be honest, I love kids. I've always wanted two," she said. "What about you?" she asked him.

"Same with me. I want a boy and a girl. But of course, if they end up being two boys or two girls, I will still love them anyways," Aaron told her.

"Me too," Ava said.

The song 'Wanted' by Hunter Hayes started playing.

"I love you so much, Ava. I want this to last. I know it's been over a month, but I already want to spend the rest of my life with you," Aaron said.

"I love you too, Aaron. I'm already picturing my future with you," Ava said.

They both noticed the sky getting brighter.

"The sunrise is so beautiful, yet so underrated," Ava said.

"It is," Aaron agreed. "It's beautiful, but you're even more beautiful," he added, and they shared a loving and tender kiss.


	25. A Heated Sunrise

***Timeskip, Tuesday, October 20, 6:30 AM***

It's been 4 months since Ava and Aaron got together and they're still going strong. Sure, they've had a couple arguments before, but they made up in the end. They always made time to see each other, occasionally sleeping over at each others' houses. Throughout their relationship, they had sex four times, and did a lot of foreplay.

* * *

They were at the back of Aaron's car having an intense make out session.

"I want you," Ava said, enjoying the feeling of Aaron's lips on her neck.

"I want you too, babe," Aaron said as he marked Ava's neck.

Both of them were just in their underwear, hands all over their bodies. Ava reached for the back of her bra, and unhooked it, letting it fall. She placed it with their pile of clothes.

"You're so beautiful," Aaron told her before kissing her again.

Ava moaned as she felt Aaron grinding his hips on hers. She felt herself getting more wet as Aaron got hard.

They both removed their last items of clothing, leaving them completely naked. Aaron then grabbed a condom and put it on as Ava moaned and spread her legs, gently rubbing her clit.

"Fuck me," Ava told him.

"Of course, sweetheart," Aaron said, then he slid his cock into her vagina, both of them moaning. "You're so tight," he said to her.

"Your cock is so big," Ava said.

Aaron held Ava's hips as he thrusts all the way into her, then moved one hand to grab her breast, his other hand slid down between them to rub her clit.

"Ah, fuck!" Ava moaned, only to feel Aaron pulling out, much to her dismay.

"Hands and knees," Aaron told her.

Ava did what she was told as Aaron slid his cock back in. It was a very different feeling for both of them, even more enjoyable. He was able to penetrate her even deeper.

"Spank me," Ava said.

"Are you sure?" Aaron asked, not wanting to hurt her.

"Just spank me. Pull my hair and spank me," Ava said.

Aaron was a little hesitant, but did what he was told anyways, causing to Ava to moan. Realizing that Ava enjoyed it, he did it again, the girl moaning even more.

"You like that?" Aaron asked, starting to feel more confident with his kinky side.

"Fuck yes! Keep doing it," Ava said.

"You naughty girl," Aaron moaned, spanking Ava three more times.

"I'm so close!" Ava screamed.

"So am I. Let it out, baby," Aaron said, reaching towards Ava's front, rubbing her clit harder.

Ava reached her orgasm, her pussy clenching around Aaron's cock, making him reach his orgasm as well.

The two of them stayed in their position for a minute until Aaron pulled out. He removed the condom and wrapped it up in a tissue, then got dressed, with Ava getting dressed as well.

"I'm going to throw this out," Aaron said, getting out to throw the tissue away before coming back in, with Ava already in the front seat.

"That was fun," Ava said, kissing Aaron softly.

"It sure was," Aaron agreed.

They noticed the sky starting to get bright.

"Perfect way to start the morning," Ava said. They both laughed before sharing another passionate kiss.


	26. Her Deepest Secret

***Friday, October 23, 8:00 AM***

"I can't believe we finally move in together in 2 weeks!" Aaron said.

"I know! I'm so excited!" Ava squealed.

"Me too!" Aaron said. "And I'm glad they have a storage for my bike," he added.

"Oh yeah," Ava said softly.

"Avie, you ok? What's wrong?" Aaron asked, concerned.

"Oh it's nothing," Ava sighed.

"Av, it's not nothing. You play with your necklace when you're nervous, stressed, or tense. Now please, tell me. What's wrong?" Aaron asked again.

"Idon'tknowhowtorideabike," Ava mumbled.

"Sweetie, can you please repeat that? I didn't get it," Aaron said.

Ava sighed. "I said I don't know how to ride a bike," she confessed.

"That's it? That's what you're worried about? Sweetie, there's nothing to be ashamed of," Aaron said.

"Uh, yeah, there is! Every time I see you on your bike, I'm like 'damn, I wish I was that good.' I never learned because my parents always judged and yelled at me," Ava said.

"I can help," Aaron told her. "You know I would never judge or yell at you," he added.

"I know. But, seriously though! I'm 25 and I can't ride a bike! It's just so humiliating! Even my brother, who's 21, can ride a bike. Although, his roommate taught him a couple months ago. But now he's so good at it! When I was 6, my parents got me a bike, but it was too big so I had a hard time learning. They always yelled at me whenever I struggled so I just gave up, and they gave the bike to my cousin," Ava said.

"Av, sweetheart, if you want, I can teach you. You can borrow my sister's old bike. It's still in the garage. I can help you," Aaron offered.

"Really? You'd do that for me?" Ava asked.

"Of course! The bike is a perfect size for you, not too big at all," Aaron said.

"Alright! Let's do this!" Ava squealed, clapping her hands.

* * *

"I'm so nervous," Ava confessed.

"It's ok, Ava. This will be a relaxing environment. No one will be yelling or judging, I promise you," Aaron assured her.

"I know, thank you" Ava said as she got on the bike.

"Perfect size for you," Aaron said, gently placing his hand on Ava's shoulder.

"Good luck," Haley, Aaron's older sister, said, patting Ava's shoulder.

"Thank you," Ava said with a nod.

"Okay. First thing we will focus on is balance. You need to be able to balance on the bike before moving on to pedaling. We will start by moving forward, slowly," Aaron said.

"Alright. Balance. Got it," Ava said.

"Want me to hold onto you as we move?" Aaron asked.

"I think I'll be ok," Ava said.

"Okay. I will be right beside you though," Aaron said.

"Okay. I can do this. I got this," Ava said, slowly starting to move forward, wobbling slightly.

"It's ok. I've got you," Aaron said, holding onto her.

Ava tried moving again, and she was slowly starting to get the hang of it.

"You're doing it, sweetie!" Aaron cheered.

"Yes! I'm doing it!" Ava cheered along.

* * *

After an hour of training, Ava succeeded in learning to ride a bike.

"You did it, sweetheart! I'm so proud of you," Aaron said.

"Well, I had the best teacher. I couldn't have done it without you. Thank you," Ava said, kissing him softly. "Now when can I learn mountain biking?" she asked.

"Not for awhile. You still have to really get used to basic biking. If you want, one of these days, we can rent a tandem mountain bike and we can go together, just so you get used to the feeling of mountain biking. It took me one year to learn mountain biking. My parents still freak out about it, even now," Aaron said.

"Honey, can't you just bike like a normal person?" Mrs. Bennett asked her son.

"See what I mean?" Aaron said to Ava.

"Aaron, your mother and I just worry about you. It's normal for a parent who loves their kid to worry about them," Mr. Bennett said.

"Just like when Savannah first left for basic training, or when Haley moved out of state," Mrs. Bennett said.

Savannah and Haley are Aaron's older sisters. Savannah is 25, and is in the Air Force. She is currently stationed in Hawaii. Haley is 23, and is a kindergarten teacher. She moved out of state for 2 years, until the end of August, when she moved into a house near their parents, and she would frequently visit them.

"Don't forget about what happened in July. I nearly had a heart attack after you told me what happened!" Haley said.

"Oh yes. We will never forget that," Mrs. Bennett said.

"And Aaron, Ava, we will still worry about you two once you move into your apartment in 2 weeks. It's just a parent's nature, as I mentioned," Mr. Bennett said.

"We understand," Aaron said.

"If you two want, you can temporarily move in with me, just so you can get the feeling of living out of the parents' home. Don't worry about paying any bills. Leave that to me," Haley offered. "I can turn the guest room into your temporary room. All I ask is that you clean up your own mess," she added.

"I'll go let my parents know right now," Ava said, getting her phone out.

"Now all of our kids are out of the house," Mrs. Bennett said to her husband.

After 10 minutes, Ava got off her phone. "They're ok with it!" she said.

"I can't wait until we move in together!" Aaron said.

"I know! Me neither!" Ava squealed. "Haley, we just want to thank you for letting us move in with you," she added.

"Yeah, we really appreciate it, Haley. Thank you," Aaron said.

"It's no problem at all! As I said, don't bother with the bills. Just worry about cleaning up after yourselves," Haley told them.

"Don't forget to call us every night," Mrs. Bennett said.

"And don't forget to visit us," Mr. Bennett said.

"Don't worry, we won't forget," Aaron assured them.


	27. *Not A Chapter*

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This just describes a little bit about Ava and Aaron.

**Ava McIntosh:**

_**Age: 25** _

_**Height: 5'** _

**Face claim:**

******

**Hair (at the beginning of the story):**

**Hair (in October):**

**Her car:**

**Her bedroom:**

**Facts about Ava:**

-She is 3/4 Filipina: her mother is full Filipina, and her father is half-Filipino, half-white

-Her favorite sport is dance

**Aaron Bennett:**

_**Age: 22** _

_**Height: 6'** _

**Face claim:**

****

**Hair:**

**His car:**

**His bedroom:**

**His bike:**

**Facts about Aaron:**

-He's been obsessed with mountain biking since he was 5, but didn't actually start until he was 8

-Besides mountain biking, he also loves snowboarding

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **I know Rita Ora is not Filipina, but my friend in real life who is Filipina looks so much like her!**


	28. All Settled Down

***Friday, October 23, 3:00 PM, Bennett house***

"I can't believe it! It just feels like yesterday, you were just learning to walk. Now you're moving out," Mrs. Bennett cried, hugging her son tight.

"Mom, I'm just moving in with Haley. The house is just 10 minutes away," Aaron said, hugging his mother back.

"We know you're just moving in with your sister, but in 2 weeks, you'll be moving into your own apartment with Ava," Mr. Bennett said, joining the hug.

"It just feels strange going into your room, and your closet is cleared out. Most of the stuff in your room is gone. Even your bathroom is cleared out," Mrs. Bennett said. "I found your very first pair of shoes!" she added, holding up a tiny pair of shoes.

***Around the same time, McIntosh house***

"Ava! We're gonna miss you!" Mrs. McIntosh sobbed, hugging her daughter tight.

"She would eventually move out at some point. But we will miss you, Ava," Mr. McIntosh said, hugging both women.

"Mom, Dad, I'll be fine," Ava assured her parents, hugging them back.

"Both of our babies are out of the house! First, Adam, now, Ava!" Mrs. McIntosh cried.

Adam, 21, is Ava's younger brother. He is in the Navy, currently stationed in Virginia.

"Sweetie, here's your very first baby pillow! When the time comes, you'll give this to your future baby," Mrs. McIntosh said, hugging the pillow.

***4:00 PM, Haley's house***

"Llama!" Aaron said, throwing his llama stuffed animal to Ava. "Or maybe it's an alpaca," he added.

"And I have a leopard. Roar," Ava said, holding onto her leopard stuffed animal.

The two of them were setting up their temporary room.

"I have an otter too. I named him Sherlock," Aaron said, placing his otter stuffed animal on the bed.

"I also have a hedgehog," Ava said as she placed her hedgehog stuffed animal next to the otter.

"John!" Aaron yelled.

"It's a girl, and her name is Sandy," Ava said.

"You should rename it John," Aaron suggested.

"I just said it's a girl," Ava reminded him.

"Then Joanna," Aaron said.

"No, it's still Sandy," Ava said, pouting playfully.

"I take it, you two are enjoying your new room?" Haley asked, checking up on them.

"We are," Aaron said.

"Haley, does this hedgehog look like a John or Sandy to you?" Ava asked.

"Sandy," Haley said.

"Thank you! See? Even your sister agrees!" Ava said to Aaron.

"Oh come on! The duo is Sherlock and John. Think of the meme! Sherlock is an otter, John is a hedgehog," Aaron said.

"I seriously wish there was a Season 5 of Sherlock," Ava said.

"I know!" the Bennett siblings agreed.

"By the way, I ordered pizza. I know you're tired from packing, so I got us food. And I know you two are working tomorrow, so I figured we could have an early dinner, just so you two can go to bed early and make sure you're well-rested for tomorrow. You guys are early birds as well, so you're going to need that rest," Haley said.

"Thank you so much, Haley," Ava said, hugging her boyfriend's sister.

"Yes, thank you, Haley," Aaron said, joining the group hug.

"It's no problem at all," Haley said, hugging them back. "Welcome to my house," she added.


	29. Long Night

***Saturday, October 24, 12:35 AM***

Ava sat up and immediately grabbed her left calf. She held in a scream, then looked at Aaron, who was still sleeping. She applied more pressure on her calf, trying to keep quiet, but noticed Aaron moving in his sleep.

Aaron looked as if he wanted to spoon Ava, but instead of wrapping an arm around her waist, he felt her leg, then woke up.

"Ava! Are you ok?!" he asked, sitting up and turning on the lamp next to his side of the bed.

"I'm fine! Go back to sleep. It's just a leg cramp, it'll go away soon," Ava tried to assure him.

"Guys, what's going on here?" Haley asked groggily, checking up on her brother and his girlfriend. As soon as she saw Ava, she asked, "Ava! What happened?"

"Seriously, it's just a leg cramp," Ava said, still holding onto her calf. She slowly let it go, and sighed in relief when the cramp was gone.

"I'll get you a glass of water," Haley said before walking to the kitchen. A minute later, she came back and handed the water to Ava.

"Are you alright, sweetheart?" Aaron asked, rubbing Ava's back.

"I'm fine, it was just a calf cramp," Ava said, taking a sip of water.

Aaron then massaged Ava's left calf gently.

"Are you going to be ok?" Haley asked.

"I'll be fine, Haley. Thank you," Ava assured her, finishing the water.

"Okay. Good night, you two," Haley said, taking the glass from Ava's hand.

"Good night, Haley," Aaron and Ava both said.

Haley nodded and went to the kitchen to wash the glass, then went back to her room.

Ava remained seated on the bed, and frowned.

"Ava, what's wrong?" Aaron asked.

"I think I'm starting my period. I feel something," Ava said, getting up. She took a pad from her bag, and went to the bathroom. When she pulled her shorts and panties down, she didn't see any blood stains, but when she wiped herself, there was blood on the toilet paper. 'I definitely started' she thought in her head as she stuck the pad on her underwear, redressed herself, threw the pad wrapper in the garbage can, and flushed the toilet paper down. She washed her hands then went back to the room.

"You feeling ok?" Aaron asked her.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just started my period," Ava told him, getting under the covers. "It's going to be a long night," she added.

"Will cuddling make you feel better?" Aaron offered, turning off the lamp next to him.

"It sure would," Ava said, snuggling closer to him. It may be a long night, but she has her boyfriend to cuddle with.


	30. Busy Day And A Visit From Family

***Saturday, October 24, 10:50 AM***

"Sweetie, you don't have to carry me," Ava said.

"I know, but I want to," Aaron said, walking towards Ava's work with her in his arms.

"You're so sweet," Ava said.

"I just want you to take it easy," Aaron said. "How are you feeling?" he asked her.

"I took a Tylenol this morning so I should be fine for a few hours. I did bring it with me in case I need another one," Ava told him.

"Okay. Well, here we are," Aaron said as he put Ava down. "I'll see you later, sweetheart. I love you," he added, kissing her softly.

"I love you too. I'll see you later," Ava said, then she went into the store.

***4:00 PM***

The mall was busy, considering it was Saturday. There were lines waiting outside the stores because of social distancing.

"Ava!" Mr. and Mrs. McIntosh called out.

"Hey, Mom. Hi, Dad," Ava greeted her parents.

"Do we get special treatment and cut in line since you work here and we're your parents?" Mrs. McIntosh joked.

"Sorry, but you have to wait in line," Ava said.

"Oh, alright," Mrs. McIntosh said.

Aaron then came into the store. "Hey, how's it going?" he asked.

"Great. How are you doing?" Ava asked him.

"Pretty good. This just explains about testing the power overnight," Aaron told her, handing her a flyer.

"Alright, thank you. I'll see you later," Ava said.

"See you later," Aaron said, then walked out. They both wanted to kiss, but they were working.

"Of course Aaron would get special treatment because he's my daughter's boyfriend!" Mrs. McIntosh shouted from the back of the line.

"Aaron! I see you! Hi! We get to see you work!" Mrs. Bennett called out with her husband and daughter behind her.

"Hey Mom, Dad, and Haley," Aaron greeted his family. He prayed that his family won't embarrass him in public, especially while he's working.

"Guess what, honey? I found your baby booties!" Mrs. Bennett said, holding a tiny pair of knitted slippers. "Hey everyone! These are my son's baby booties! He had teeny tiny feet! So cute!" she yelled. "And now he's a grown man with a beautiful girlfriend!" she added.

Mr. Bennett and Haley tried to hold in their laughs, and Aaron had to hide his frustration.

"I even found a picture of him taking his very first bath! It's right here!" Mrs. Bennett said, holding a picture. "Look, it's my son," she said, showing the picture to someone walking by.

"Aww," the person said, then walked off.

Haley burst out laughing.

"Can someone get my mom out of here?" Aaron whispered in his radio.

 _"Nah, I'm enjoying the show,"_ he heard Liam laugh. _"I'm literally watching you guys from the cameras,"_ he added.

 _"What's happening?"_ James asked.

"My mom is showing everyone my baby picture. Taking my first bath," Aaron whispered.

 _"I have to see this!"_ Sam laughed.

"No," Aaron groaned.

"So you must be Aaron's family. I'm Frank," Frank said, stopping his Segway next to the Bennett family.

"Hello. Here's a picture of baby Aaron taking his first bath," Mrs. Bennett said, holding up the picture.

"Okay, I'm going to continue walking around," Aaron said.

"Wait. Stay right here. Sam and James are going to take over on walking around. James told me you'll be on surveillance duty now," Frank said.

"We'll see you later, Aaron! We love you!" Mrs. Bennett said.

"I love you guys too," Aaron said, then he went to the Security Office.

***Aaron's POV***

I went into the office and removed my mask. I saw Liam with a smirk on his face.

"Don't," I warned him.

"Seriously, you might want to see this," Liam said, pointing to a screen. It was the camera in front of The Scarf Shop. Oh shit.

My mom was showing the picture to Ava, and I saw Ava laughing. Oh my god. No.

"No. No! I can't believe my mom would do this to me!" I said out loud. I heard Liam laughing. "It's not funny!" I told him.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" he laughed, wiping his tears.

"Get my mom out of here! Please!" I said in my radio.

I then heard WAP playing from Liam's phone, and turned around to see him trying to do that TikTok dance. "Dude! Liam! What the hell?" I asked, turning back to face the surveillance screens.

"Just trying to make you laugh," Liam said.

"It's not funny," I said, still frustrated with the thought of my mother showing everyone my baby picture.

"Ouch! I can't do a fucking split!" Liam whined. "I think I ripped my pants," he added.

I immediately turned around and laughed. "Did you really?" I asked him.

Liam stood up. "I hope not. At least I got you to laugh," he said, patting my shoulder.

"You did," I laughed. "By the way, Ava does the dance better than you," I added.

"TMI, dude," Liam told me.

"I'm just saying," I said.


	31. Just A Relaxing Evening

***7:05 PM***

"Hey. You ok?" Ava asked, gently placing her hand on Aaron's shoulder.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Aaron told her as he drove.

"Frank told me that you were frustrated about earlier. Your mom showed me your baby picture. I'm so sorry I laughed," Ava said.

"I'm not mad at you. I'm mad at my mom," Aaron said. His phone went off. "Can you check that?" he asked her, keeping his eyes on the road.

"Sure," Ava said, picking up his phone. "You have 15 missed calls from your mom, 3 from your dad, 1 from Haley, and a recent text from Haley. The text says 'Hey, Aaron. Just wanted to check up on you. Mom felt bad about embarrassing you earlier and she's really sorry. She said to give her a call when you get home. I'm spending the night at Josh's tonight. I made some lasagna for you and Ava. Take care. Love you.'" she read out loud. Josh, 24, is Haley's boyfriend of 1 month, and is a registered nurse.

"If my mom was sorry, she should've told me herself instead of telling Haley to tell me," Aaron sighed. "Text her back, saying thank you for checking up on me, I'll give Mom a call later. And tell Haley take care, and I love her too," he added.

"Okay," Ava said, texting her boyfriend's sister.

After driving for ten minutes, they finally reached Haley's house. As they got out of the car, Aaron locked it, and they both entered the house. They went to their room and changed out of their work clothes, then went to the kitchen to have dinner.

"I'll call my mom real quick," Aaron said, going to the living room.

Ava got out two plates and placed a slice of lasagna on each one, then microwaved them.

After five minutes, Aaron's phone call with his parents ended, and he went back to the dining room to have his dinner with Ava.

"How did it go?" she asked.

"She just apologized, and said it won't happen again, but because it's my mother we're talking about, I know she'll do it again someday," he told her.

"That's how moms are, unfortunately. Mine is like that too," Ava said, rolling her eyes.

"Well, we don't live with them anymore, so that's a perk," Aaron said.

"Oh yeah! That is so true!" Ava agreed. "What do you want to do after dinner?" she asked.

"I still have to take a shower, but after that, we can watch a movie and cuddle. Haley gave me her password to her Disney Plus account," Aaron told her.

"I need to hit the showers too, but a movie and cuddles sound amazing," Ava said.

"Oh, and here's a video of Liam trying to do the WAP dance earlier," Aaron said, showing Ava the video from his phone.

"Oh my god! That's hilarious!" Ava laughed so hard.

***8:15 PM***

"What movie should we watch?" Ava asked.

"I was thinking we could watch Up," Aaron said, scrolling through his sister's Disney Plus account.

"Tear jerker, but ok, we'll watch it," Ava said.

* * *

"The movie is funny but sad at the same time," Ava cried.

"It is, sweetheart. It really is," Aaron agreed, rubbing Ava's back while wiping his own tears.

"I love you so much," Ava said, snuggling closer to Aaron.

"I love you too, Ava. Forever and always," Aaron said as he kissed Ava's forehead and ran his fingers through her newly dyed platinum blonde hair.

Ava grabbed her phone to play some music, and "The Good Ones" by Gabby Barrett started playing.

"This song makes me think of you," she told him.

"You are the love of my life," Aaron said, then he kissed her lovingly.


	32. Halloween

***Saturday, October 31, 7:30 AM***

"Ugh!" Ava groaned, going through her closet.

"Sweetie, what's wrong?" Aaron asked.

"It's Halloween, which means we're allowed to dress up for work, and I don't have anything to wear," Ava whined. "I didn't even want to spend money on a costume this year. Not that I ever bought a costume anyways. I always improvised and made my own. But now I can't think of anything!" she added.

"Honey, you don't have to dress up. I can't even dress up for work," Aaron said.

"But I want to! I always dress up for work every year," Ava said.

"You have cat ears. Dress up as a black cat," Aaron suggested.

"Everyone dresses up as cats. Plus I already did 2 years ago," Ava sighed.

"Guys, what's wrong?" Haley asked, knocking on the door.

Ava opened it, letting her in. "I'm freaking out because I want to dress up for Halloween, but I can't think of anything," she said.

"Dress up as Elsa," Haley suggested.

"Really? Elsa?" Ava questioned.

"Well yeah, I mean you have the hair. Dress up as Elsa. Just wear a pastel blue or white outfit. Like a casual Elsa, or something like that. I'll help style your hair," Haley offered.

"Omg Haley! You're a genius! Thank you so much!" Ava said, hugging her boyfriend's sister.

"No problem. Happy to help!" Haley said, hugging the blonde back.

"Perfect! I have the outfit. I also have a mask to match the outfit," Ava said. She went into the walk-in closet, found the clothes, then got dressed. After changing, she got out and posed a little.

"Beautiful as always," Aaron said.

"Stunning," Haley said.

"Thank you!" Ava said, doing a little curtsy. "I'm gonna do my makeup now," she added, grabbing her makeup bag. She removed the mask and put it in her purse.

"Sounds good. I'm going to make us breakfast," Haley said, then she left to go to the kitchen.

"So Ava, we still have a lot time. Want to have some fun?" Aaron asked suggestively.

"This is your sister's house. I don't want to disrespect her," Ava said.

"We've had sex at our parents' houses before," Aaron reminded her.

"True," Ava said. "Sure, why not," she added before kissing Aaron roughly.

"We have to keep quiet though," Aaron said.

* * *

"My makeup is not smudging, is it?" Ava thought out loud, looking in the mirror.

"You look fine," Aaron assured her, gently running his fingers through his own hair.

"Breakfast is ready," Haley said, knocking on the door, and the two of them walked out. They were greeted by Josh, Haley's boyfriend.

"Hey, guys," Josh said.

"'Sup, Josh?" Ava greeted back.

"Don't hurt my sister," Aaron warned him.

"I'm a year older than you," Haley said, playfully flicking her brother's head. "Now, Ava. I'm going to start doing your hair," she added, gently brushing Ava's platinum blonde hair.

***9:00 PM***

_"So how was work? And how was your Halloween?"_ Mrs. McIntosh asked her daughter. Ava was FaceTiming her parents.

"It was fun! I dressed up as Elsa. A casual Elsa," Ava said.

 _"Glad you had fun. We saw the pictures. Aaron makes a cute Jack Frost,"_ Mrs. McIntosh said.

 _"We saw your picture earlier of you, your coworkers, and three security guys, one of them being Aaron,"_ Mr. McIntosh said.

 _"But the Jack Frost and Elsa selfie was adorable!"_ Mrs. McIntosh said.

 _"There was also a picture of you, Aaron, Haley in a bloody straitjacket, and a guy in bloody scrubs. Who was that guy?"_ Mr. McIntosh asked.

"That's Haley's boyfriend, Josh. Together for over a month now," Aaron told them. "He's an RN," he added. He was towel drying his hair after his shower as he had to rinse off the white hair gel he wore while dressed up as Jack Frost.

 _"Oh nice! Didn't know Haley had a boyfriend,"_ Mrs. McIntosh said.

"Yeah, since the end of September," Ava said.

 _"Good to know. Well, I know you two are tired after a long day, so we'll let you go for tonight,"_ Mr. McIntosh said.

"Alright, good night. We love you," Ava said.

 _"We love you too, Take care,"_ Mrs. McIntosh said. They all said their goodbyes, then hung up.

"Well that was a lovely Halloween this year. And just next week, we move into our apartment," Aaron said.

"I know! I'm so excited!" Ava squealed.

"So am I, sweetheart!" Aaron agreed.


	33. When Taking Out The Trash Is Fun

***Wednesday, November 4, 5:30 PM***

"Ava, want to go on a trash run with me?" Carol asked.

"Sure!" Ava said. She helped with emptying the garbage cans, placing new trash bags in, then placed the trash on one of the trash carts, with Carol loading the other. "As much as I don't like taking out the trash, it feels nice to get away from the customers sometimes," she added.

"I know, right!" Carol agreed. Both girls rolled the carts and headed for the back door, leading to the secret hallway that only the mall employees and security team know. Think of it as the "behind the scenes" of the mall. The area is also an emergency tunnel, so unless it's absolutely necessary, customers do not go there. Security guards walk the halls to make sure everything is ok, and other mall employees walk there to take out their trash.

"Ooh, I love this song!" Ava said as "No Scrubs" by TLC started playing.

"Oh me too, girl!" Carol said, and both of them started dancing and singing along.

"Ava?" they heard Aaron.

"Oh hi, Aaron! Just taking out the trash. I made sure to save the boxes for Friday," Ava said.

"Awesome! Can't wait till Friday," Aaron said.

"Me neither!" Ava squealed.

"I still have to patrol the hallways. I'll see you later," Aaron said.

"Alright, see ya," Ava said, then went in the elevator with Carol.

"Oh yeah! You two are moving into an apartment together!" Carol said.

"Yes, we are. And we're excited!" Ava said.

"I still need a wedding invite. And a baby shower invite. Jasmine and I will share the role of godmother," Carol told her.

"Okay," Ava chuckled.

It took them five minutes to reach the dumpsters, and three minutes to throw all the trash out. As soon as both carts were empty, the girls went back inside. On their way back they saw Aaron with an unfamiliar security guard.

"Hello again, sweetie," Ava greeted.

"Hey again, sweetheart," Aaron greeted back. "By the way, Ava, this is David. He's new to the security team. He just started yesterday. David, this is Ava, she works at The Scarf Shop as the door greeter, and she's my girlfriend," he introduced his girlfriend to his new coworker.

"Hi, nice to meet you! This is one of my managers, Carol," Ava said.

"Nice to meet you ladies," David said.

"Anyways, I still have to show David around, and I don't want to hold you girls back, so I'll see you later, Ava. I love you," Aaron said.

"I love you too. I'll see you later," Ava said, then she continued walking with Carol until they reached the back door to their store and put the carts away.

"Had fun? We should take you on trash runs more often," Carol said.

"I had a blast! I should go more often," Ava said.

"Someone's all smiley," Jasmine teased.

"She saw her boyfriend on the way," Carol said.

"Ooh!" Jasmine said. "Aren't you guys moving in together?" she asked.

"We are, on Friday," Ava said.

"We're excited for you guys!" Jasmine and Carol both squealed.

"Thank you! We're excited for us too!" Ava said.


	34. Moving Day

***Friday, November 6, 8:00 AM***

_"Ava, Aaron. Mom and Dad want to meet you two at your new apartment. They're there already,"_ Haley said on the phone to her brother and his girlfriend.

"Alright, thanks, Haley," Aaron said.

 _"No problem. I wish I could help, but I have a class to teach,"_ Haley said.

"No worries! We still appreciate it. Have fun teaching class! And stay safe," Ava said.

 _"Thank you. I'll see you two later,"_ Haley said. They all said their goodbyes, then hung up.

Aaron drove Ava and himself to the new apartment, which was just 20 minutes away from Haley's house. As soon as they reached the apartment, they noticed a furniture truck near it, with two guys unloading the furniture inside. Ava's parents were also there.

"Oh hey! You guys made it! Don't worry about paying them, we got it covered for you. Everything is pretty much almost set. The couch, tables, and chairs are all where they should be. We even set up your bed, night tables, and dressers too," Mrs. Bennett told them.

"We also bought pots, pans, plates, bowls, cups, drinking glasses, and silverware for you two, so you don't have to worry about paying for those," Mrs. McIntosh said.

"All you have to do is just pack your clothes and other stuff, and bring them over here, then you're all set," Mr. Bennett said. "And of course, buy food," he added.

"You did all of this for us?" Aaron asked.

"We did. We all wanted your first move together to not be stressful, so we helped," Mr. McIntosh told them.

"Oh my god, you guys are the best! Thank you so much!" Ava said, group hugging the parents.

"Yes, thank you so much! We love you," Aaron said as he joined the group hug.

"Everything is all set," one of the movers said.

"Oh wonderful! Thank you so much for your help. We really appreciate it," Mrs. Bennett said, tipping both movers.

"You're very welcome! We're more than happy to help," the other mover said. "Enjoy your new home," he said to Aaron and Ava.

"Thank you," Aaron and Ava both said.

"No problem. You all have a great day," the first mover said.

***4:00 PM***

"And everything is all set," Ava said after she placed her hedgehog stuffed animal between Aaron's otter and her leopard. So in order, it's llama, otter, hedgehog, and leopard.

It took a couple hours for the two of them to arrange their closets and dressers, especially Ava, but it was worth it in the end. Both were lucky they had their own walk-in closets. Plus, the bathroom had two sinks.

"We still have to go grocery shopping," Aaron reminded her. "Unless you want to order takeout, I'm fine with that as well," he added.

"I'm cool with takeout tonight. We still have to do grocery shopping afterwards, so we can have breakfast tomorrow," Ava said as they both headed to the living room.

"That's true," Aaron said.

"But for now, let's relax," Ava said as she sat on the new couch.

"Yes. Let's relax and take the time to get to know our new apartment. Our first apartment. Together," Aaron said, sitting beside Ava and holding her hand.


	35. Their Apartment *Not A Chapter*

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This describes Ava and Aaron's apartment.

**About the apartment:**

-It's on the opposite side of their workplace (the mall)

-It's a 20 minute drive from their parents' and Haley's houses

-A 10 minute drive from the mall

-Their rent is only $680 a month (they split the rent in half)

-The apartment complex has a gym, indoor pool a with hot tub, basketball and tennis courts, and a bike garage

-Each resident has their own washing machine and dryer

**The apartment complex:**

****

-Ava and Aaron live in the top floor

**Gym:**

**Bike garage:**

-Aaron locks his on the bottom row

**Living room:**

****

**Kitchen:**

**Dining room:**

**Their bedroom:**

**The bathroom:**


	36. Grocery Fun

***Friday, November 6, 8:00 PM***

"Babe, should we get two of these, or just one?" Aaron asked, holding two boxes of spaghetti.

"Let's get three. One for regular spaghetti, the other for a pasta salad, and I've always wanted to make spaghetti tacos," Ava said, placing a box of taco shells in the cart.

"Me too! Get another box of taco shells, for ordinary tacos," Aaron said as he put another box in the cart.

"I love how creative we are with our cooking! We're so making breakfast egg rolls and pizza egg rolls," Ava said. "Gosh we're gonna get fat. And I refuse to get fat! Thank goodness for the apartment's fitness area," she added.

"I know, right. And my job does have me walking around all day, so it's all good," Aaron said.

"We're buying so much pasta, I just noticed! Let's make sushi as well," Ava suggested.

"Lovely idea," Aaron agreed. "We also need chicken and seafood," he added.

"Add that to our menu!" Ava said. "So my mom is obsessed with the keto diet, it's so annoying," she rolled her eyes. "Like, she bought keto pancakes, and they fall apart all the time, but it doesn't bother her. And they taste bland! We're getting original pancakes. Anyone worried about their figure should just workout more," she added.

"Oh yeah, they say keto pancakes are just another waste of money. Normal pancakes taste way better and I don't even need a lot of syrup," Aaron said.

"I know, right! I nearly gagged after finishing up a plate of keto pancakes," Ava cringed.

"At least we don't live with them anymore," Aaron said.

"I know!" Ava said, doing a little happy dance. "Pancake breakfast tacos are so going to be part of our menu," she added.

"That sounds delicious! What do you think of grilled cheese stuffed peppers?" he asked.

"Oh count that in!" she agreed. "We need to add some salads, and fruits," she added.

"Yes, we do," Aaron said.

"Well, at least we have the day off tomorrow, so we can go crazy with our cooking, and get even more creative," Ava said.

"Everyone's gonna be so jealous," Aaron said.

Ava giggled. "So true," she agreed.


	37. All Things Adrenaline

***Monday, November 16, 8:30 PM***

It's been over a week since Ava and Aaron moved into their apartment together, and so far everything is going great. They enjoyed cooking together, creating new recipes, made time to hit the gym every morning at 5, and they had more sex than when they lived with their parents or Haley. They didn't have to worry about getting caught. One thing they had to be mindful of was their neighbors, next door and below them.

Currently, they're sitting in the living room talking about what they want to do, adrenaline wise.

"Next summer, we should go white water rafting," Aaron suggested.

"Isn't that where you have to row a boat down a fast-moving river?" Ava asked.

"Yeah, but there are different rapids. Some are gentle, others are intense," Aaron told her. "I actually went last year with my family, when my sisters were visiting us for the summer. The waves were strong but manageable, and it was fun," he added.

"I've never gone white water rafting, so I would be nervous," Ava said.

"I'll be right beside you the entire time, and we won't be alone," Aaron assured her.

"Okay. Besides white water rafting, we need to go zip lining. I've only gone once, but I want to go again," Ava said.

"Zip lining is amazing. Would you go bungee jumping or skydiving?" Aaron asked.

"Hell yeah! I'd do both!" Ava told him.

"I did go bungee jumping 4 years ago. It was awesome! I would definitely go skydiving as well," Aaron said.

"We're pretty much living that young, wild, and free lifestyle," she said.

"Oh hell yeah," he agreed. "We've gotta live life to the fullest," he added.

"We also need to go to an amusement park, and ride all the most intense rides," Ava said.

"I know! Don't forget paragliding, parasailing, and water skiing," Aaron told her.

"Definitely add that to our bucket list," Ava said.

"Swimming with sharks is actually a thing. I've always wanted to try that," Aaron said.

"Same with whales," Ava said.

"I love how adventurous we are. I never thought I'd find someone willing to do these things with me," Aaron said.

"Same here. I'm so glad I found someone as wild and daring as I am," Ava agreed. "You still have to take me mountain biking," she added.

Aaron laughed. "I know, sweetie. I know," he said, kissing her forehead gently.


	38. First Shot

***Tuesday, November 17, 9:00 AM***

"Ava, you ok?" Aaron asked, helping her in the door.

"Yeah, I'm good, just a bit dizzy," Ava said as she stumbled slightly into the apartment. They got back from the doctors as it was Ava's first time getting the depo shot. Ever since they became even more sexually active after moving in together, they both agreed that she went on birth control, and Aaron still continued to use condoms for double the protection. Since it was Ava's first time on birth control, she's been experiencing side effects.

"I'll make you some ginger tea. The doctor said you may feel nauseous," Aaron said, walking Ava to the couch and gently sitting her down. He helped remove her coat and boots, and put them away.

"I do feel a little nauseous," Ava admitted.

"I'm gonna start on the tea right away," Aaron said, immediately going to the kitchen to microwave some water. He placed a tea bag into a little mug, along with fresh chopped ginger. After two minutes, he poured the hot water in the mug and mixed it all together. He got a little plate and placed some saltine crackers on it, then went to the living room to give them to Ava.

"Thank you," Ava said, slowly nibbling on a cracker. She took a bigger bite when she realized she can keep the first bite down, but still took it slow, then she sipped her tea. "It's very soothing," she added, taking another sip.

"At least we don't have to work today," Aaron said as he sat down next to her.

"I know, right," Ava said, eating another cracker. "I was surprised my period came in a week early," she added.

"Have you been stressed lately? From work?" Aaron asked.

"Now that you mentioned it, yeah, I have," Ava told him. "The holidays are coming up, we've been really busy lately," she said.

"I noticed. I hope everyone is treating you well. If there are any issues, let me know. I will do anything to help you, whether it's at home or at work," Aaron said.

"I know. Thank you," Ava said.

"Anytime, sweetheart," Aaron said, kissing Ava's cheek softly.

"And I hope these side effects wear off right away. Doctor said it might take while, or I may feel better sooner, as everyone's different," Ava said. "She said I might feel really crabby, so I apologize if I snap at you," she added.

"Honey, there's no need to apologize. It'll be ok," Aaron assured her.

"Okay. I know this will be worth it though," Ava said.


	39. Deepest Secrets That Nobody Knew About

***12:00 PM***

Ava and Aaron were in the middle of eating lunch when his phone went off.

"Sorry, I have to take this," Aaron said, and Ava nodded as she continued eating.

She was scrolling through her email when she received a new one. Ava was able to continue her online internship the next day, and in Spring 2021, she was all set to graduate vet school and earn her Doctorate degree. She nearly cried as she read the email.

"Thank you so much, sir. Alright, you have a good one. Thank you. Okay, goodbye," she heard Aaron.

'I wonder what's going on,' Ava thought in her head.

"Ava," Aaron said. "I have something to confess," he added.

"I do too," Ava said.

"You go first," Aaron told her.

"No, you go first," Ava encouraged.

"Ladies first," Aaron offered.

"How about we say it together. On 3," Ava started.

"1, 2, 3," they both counted.

"I'm graduating vet school Spring 2021!" "I passed my police training!" Ava and Aaron both said, respectively. "Wait, what?!" they said simultaneously. 

"I'm so happy for you!" Ava said, jumping in Aaron's arms.

"And I'm so excited for you!" Aaron said, kissing Ava's hair.

"When do you start?" Ava asked.

"So I actually start tomorrow. James and Mason are the only ones that know besides you. I'm still going to continue working at the mall, but my hours will be shorter now," Aaron told her.

"Seems like only our bosses know about it. Even Kim knows about my veterinary internship. I'm continuing tomorrow. I had to put it on hold for awhile because of COVID, but I'm so glad I get to continue again tomorrow," Ava said.

"The only thing they don't know is that I got paid throughout the duration of my courses," Aaron confessed.

"And I have a paid internship," Ava said.

"As soon as you graduate, I'll call you sexy doctor," Aaron teased.

"I'll be an animal doctor," Ava said, sticking out her tongue. "But I've got myself a sexy cop," she added.

"You have the right to remain silent," Aaron joked.

"Watch out for my dad though. He speeds when he drives, but he doesn't get caught. Not to mention he has road rage. I could just imagine if you were the one to catch him," Ava said.

"If I catch your dad speeding, well, I hope that doesn't happen. I would hate to have to ticket my future father-in-law. It would be awkward," Aaron said. "And as for road rage, just tell him your boyfriend is a cop," he added with a wink.

"So true!" Ava said. "Let me guess, we're going to add handcuffs to our bedroom activities?" she asked.

"If you want to. And I'm going to need a penis examination," Aaron teased.

"I will gladly give it to you," Ava teased back.

"I love you so much, Ava. And I'm so proud of you," Aaron said, kissing Ava softly.

"I love you more, sweetie. I'm proud of you as well," Ava said.

"By the way, I got something for you. On the days I'm not at the mall, especially during the evening, I want you to keep this with you," Aaron said, handing Ava a taser, which was kept in its holster. "As long as you have a license, you won't get in trouble. And just remember to keep the safety on at all times. Only use the taser when it's necessary," he added.

"I understand, and I do have a license. I even have a personal alarm, pepper spray, an emergency whistle, and a pocket knife," Ava told him.

"Good. You're in safe hands," Aaron said.

"Thank you. I really appreciate it," Ava said.

"Anytime, sweetheart. I just want you to be safe at all times," Aaron said as he kissed her again.


	40. First Day Where Things Have Changed

***Wednesday, November 18, 7:00 AM***

"How are you feeling?" Ava asked as she flipped a pancake.

"A little nervous, but I am excited," Aaron said, pouring a glass of water. "I start at 4 this afternoon, won't be done until midnight," he added, taking a sip.

"They're making you start late on your first day?" Ava asked.

"Rookies usually start their shifts around evening. They say it's quieter, and we can concentrate and learn better," Aaron told her.

"I thought night time is when most crime happens," Ava said.

"Yes, but it depends on where it's located. For sure, in the bad areas, but in the nicer communities, like our area, it's rare. Of course, we can't say it'll never happen. It can happen anywhere," Aaron said.

"I know. Good luck, and be safe," Ava said.

"Thank you, sweetie," Aaron said as he kissed her. "Our schedules are no longer in sync," he added.

"I know. But think about it. Josh and Haley are the same way too. With Haley being a teacher working "normal" hours, and Josh being an RN, he works crazy hours as well," Ava said, placing the pancake on a plate.

"True. And they don't live together. At least, at the end of my shift, I get to go home and have you in my arms," Aaron said.

They heard Ava's phone go off.

"It's my mom," she said, picking up the call. "Hello? Mom? What's going on? Are you alright? Oh, ok. Hi, Dad. Yes, it's true. Uh, Mom? Dad, why is Mom freaking out? Oh, gotcha. No, I know. Mom, believe me, I know that. Of course I am! No, I understand, I really do, but I will still be supportive no matter what," she said in the phone.

Aaron raised an eyebrow.

"They're talking about you," Ava whispered to him.

"Oh," Aaron whispered back, nodding.

"What was that? Yeah, of course," Ava said through the phone, then she turned the speaker on. "They want to talk to you," she told Aaron, holding the phone towards him.

"Hello?" Aaron said, holding onto Ava's phone.

 _"Oh my god! Aaron, is it true? You're a police officer now?"_ Mrs. McIntosh asked.

"Yes, I am. Today is my first day, although I don't start until 4 this afternoon," Aaron said.

 _"You're putting yourself at risk! My daughter should've been with a doctor, lawyer, or an engineer! But she chose to stick with a person who has a career with a possibility of being killed in action!"_ Mrs. McIntosh said hysterically.

"Mom! Don't say that! You know, Dad was in the Army, and Adam is currently in the Navy! And you support them! Why can't you support Aaron?!" Ava cried.

 _"Ava, sweetie, your mother supports him. She's just concerned. Remember, she was like that in my Army days, especially when you were just a baby, and she's still that way with Adam too. But in the end, she's still supportive no matter what,"_ Mr. McIntosh assured his daughter. _"Aaron, we thank you for your service, as well as for protecting our daughter,"_ he added.

"Of course. I will do anything to protect your daughter. To protect the people around us. And I thank you for your support," Aaron said.

 _"Anytime, son,"_ Mr. McIntosh said.

"Mom, what you just said was very hurtful. When you said I 'should've been with a doctor, lawyer, or an engineer', I cannot believe you said that! We both know the risks that come with his job. And believe me, I'm nervous as well! I will admit I'm scared for him! But I love him, and I will continue to support him. I will be right by his side no matter what," Ava said. "I just wish I could erase the words you planted in my head," she added.

 _"Ava, I'm really sorry I said that. I know you love him. It's just, after that incident in July, he almost died. And that took place in a shopping mall, only because someone refused to wear a mask. What would happen if he was patrolling the streets, and he's trying to protect someone from getting robbed. Criminals will hate him,"_ Mrs. McIntosh said.

"Mom, stop!" Ava warned.

 _"Don't bring up the incident. You know that scares and upsets her,"_ Mr. McIntosh said to Ava's mother.

"Ava, it's ok," Aaron assured her, gently rubbing her back. They went to the kitchen to set the table, and he handed the phone back to her. "My parents and sisters were the same way when I first told them I wanted to be a police officer, especially my mom. She was really uncomfortable with the idea. Ever since what happened a few months back, they became more worried when I told them I still haven't changed my mind about my career choice, but in the end, they still support me," he said through the phone. "Mom was the same way when Savannah said she wanted to join the Air Force," he added.

 _"It takes a lot to become a police officer, or to join the military. Not everyone is fit for the job. But I know you will do great,"_ Mr. McIntosh said.

"Thank you, sir," Aaron said.

 _"Anytime. Congratulations, good luck out there, and be safe,"_ Mr. McIntosh said.

"Thank you again, sir," Aaron said.

 _"No problem. I should probably let you two go, I'm sure you'll have quite a busy day today. I'll chat with you guys later. Ava, your mother is still a bit freaked out. I'll go talk to her,"_ Mr. McIntosh said.

"Okay, I love you, Dad. Tell Mom I love her too," Ava said.

 _"I love you too, honey. And I will,"_ Mr. McIntosh said. _"Aaron, take care of my daughter,"_ he added.

"Of course, sir. I promise you, I will," Aaron said. They all said their goodbyes, then hung up.

Ava sighed and put her head in her hands.

"Ava," Aaron said softly.

"I'm still mad at my mom," Ava groaned.

"I know, sweetie. I know. She's just worried," Aaron said.

"Didn't you hear what she said?" Ava asked.

"Yes, I did. And yes, it hurt. But I won't let that get to me. You know why? Because I love you. I love you so much. Our love for each other is so strong, nothing and no one will get in our way. Yes, my job is dangerous, I know the risks. I know what I signed up for. But you're the reason why I look forward to coming home after a long day," Aaron said, kissing her gently.

"I love you so much, Aaron. I don't ever want to let you go. I wouldn't trade you for anyone else," Ava said.

"I love you more, Ava. You are the love of my life. I promise to protect you," Aaron assured her.

They held each other for a couple minutes until Ava broke the silence.

"And I know you're hungry. Our breakfast is getting cold," she said, laughing.

"Oh yeah, you're right," Aaron laughed along.


	41. Not The Same, Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ava runs into some old friends, but things have changed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: This chapter may be triggering. Reader discretion is advised.

***7:00 PM***

"Bye, Ava! See you tomorrow!" Jasmine and Carol said.

"Bye, girls! See ya!" Ava said, then she left the store.

Ava smiled as she decided to do some Christmas shopping. Sure, she missed when Aaron would get off the same time as her, but now she can do some Christmas shopping and not have to spoil the surprise as she knew what to get for him, and she didn't want him to see it until Christmas day. She knew about Aaron wanting a new pair of mountain biking shoes so she was about to go to Dick's Sporting Goods, until she was approached by familiar faces that she hadn't seen in over a year, her former coworkers from American Eagle, Christina and Kylie.

"Christina! Kylie! Hi! It's been so long!" Ava said.

"Oh hi, Ava," Christina said in a not so enthusiastic tone, which confused Ava.

"Ava, is it true that your boyfriend is a police officer now? I remember he was one of the security guys here," Kylie said.

"Yeah, he still works here, but only for shorter hours now. And yes, he just started his new job today," Ava said.

"What, are you racist now?" Christina asked.

"Excuse me?" Ava was baffled.

"You're dating a white man, who is now a police officer, therefore, you guys must be racist," Kylie said.

"Face it, Ava. You haven't talked with us since you quit American Eagle. Is it because we're black?" Christina asked.

"I read your post on Facebook a couple months back. The one that said you wish marijuana was illegal again. You know Christina and I smoke weed just to relax," Kylie said.

"First of all, we're not racist. Second of all, marijuana smells bad and it can impair your mind," Ava defended herself. "Look, I've got some shopping to do. If you two want, you can come with me," she offered.

"No thanks. We refuse to associate ourselves with a racist man's equally racist girlfriend," Christina said.

"We're not racist! Aaron is one of the sweetest people you'll ever meet. He is very kind, caring, and passionate," Ava said.

"For now he is, only because he's new to his job. But the longer he works as a police officer, he'll get carried away and think he's better than everyone else. Police brutality is going on. Remember Breonna Taylor and George Floyd. Both blacks who were killed by police officers, and they haven't done nothing wrong!" Christina said.

"Yes, I know. It was really messed up and they didn't deserve to die," Ava said.

"What are you going to do now? Call your police boo and cry to him? Saying you feel attacked and threatened?" Kylie asked.

"I just want to get my shopping done," Ava sighed.

"Whatever. Go do your shopping. Racist bitch," Christina insulted.

Ava just kept walking until she reached Dick's Sporting Goods.

***7:40 PM***

"Time to go home," Ava said as she walked out of the mall. When she reached her car, the sight shocked her. Her car was egged, and six dead, gutted birds were on the hood and roof. The windshield had the words, 'Take this, you racist whore!!' written in blood. The left side read 'Fuck The Police!' The right side said 'Racist Bitch!' The back window said 'The Police Can Rot In Hell!' Underneath the dead bird on the hood read 'I CAN'T BREATHE!' It was all written in blood.

Ava screamed as she took out her phone to take pictures of her car and sent them to Aaron. She then dialed the security office's number.

 _"Security office, Mason speaking. How can I help you?"_ Mason responded on the other line.

"Hello, Mason. It's Ava. Can you or one of your officers come out to the parking lot please? I'm located in the Section 3 parking lot. And you also might want to check the cameras of the Section 3 parking lot. Replay videos if possible," Ava said, trying not to cry.

 _"Of course. I'm sending someone out right now,"_ Mason assured her.

"Thank you so much," Ava said, then hung up.

After a minute, James walked out and ran towards Ava.

"My car got egged!" Ava cried.

"I have someone watching the cameras. I'm gonna call the police right now," James said, dialing 911. "Hello? Yes, this is Officer James McKey calling from Hills Mall Security. A young woman's car got egged, not only that, there are dead birds with their intestines out on the hood and roof of the car, and there are hurtful messages written on the windows with what seems to be blood," he said in the phone. He listened for about a minute before he said, "Alright. Thank you," and hung up.

"What did they say?" Ava asked.

"They'll be on their way," James assured her.

Ava's phone went off, and she got a text from Aaron: _'They'll pay for what they've done! 🤬'_

"I took some pictures of the car and sent them to Aaron. He responded and said they'll pay for what they've done," Ava told James.

They waited 5 minutes until two police cars showed up.

"I'm Officer Charles of Mountain View Police Department, beside me is Officer Johnson. I received a call about vandalism of a young woman's car," Officer Charles said.

"Yes, right here. Egged, dead birds, and messages written in blood," James said.

"It was awful! I got out after I finished shopping and found my car like this!" Ava cried.

"Don't worry, ma'am. We're doing whatever it takes to find the suspects," Officer Johnson assured her.

Two more officers stepped out of the other car, one of them being Aaron.

"Good evening, guys. I'm Officer Jackson, and right here is rookie Officer Bennett," Officer Jackson introduced them.

"And this young lady happens to be Officer Bennett's girlfriend. Whoever disrespects her also disrespects him, and the rest of the police department," James said. His phone rang. "I have to take this. Hey, Sam. Oh good! The police just arrived, so come out here and show them," he said before hanging up. "One of my colleagues has footage of what happened. He'll be here any minute now," he told the police officers.

"Ava, I'm so sorry this happened to you. I'll help you clean this up," Aaron offered. "Damn it. We don't have any cleaning supplies, do we?" he asked Officer Jackson.

"There's a box of rubber gloves in the glove compartment, and some moist towelettes. But that's all we have," Officer Jackson told him.

"I've never felt so disgusted in my entire life. They're going to regret what they've done," Aaron snapped.

"Don't worry. We will find them," Officer Johnson assured him.

"Good evening, everyone. I have the footage right here," Sam said after he ran out, holding out his phone. He showed the officers a video he recorded from the parking lot security camera. It consisted of five young African-Americans, two of them being Christina and Kylie, all egging Ava's car. Two of them held dead birds, ripping the guts out, the other three using the blood to write on the windows. They placed the birds on the hood and roof. After they finished with their vandalizing, they went into a black car parked three spaces from Ava's.

"That's what their car looks like. Black 2012 Cadillac CTS, and I see the license plate number. Pause it and zoom in," Officer Charles said. Sam did what he was told.

"Let me get a picture of it," Aaron said, taking the picture, then he wrote down the information.

"This is Officer Johnson. The suspect drives a black 2012 Cadillac CTS, license plate number is BTCH4LF," Officer Johnson said in the radio.

 _"We're on pursuit,"_ the police officer on the other line said.


	42. Not The Same, Part 2

***8:00 PM***

"The suspects have been found. They're going to be locked up for tonight and tomorrow. There will be a trial on Friday, and if pleaded guilty, they will be locked up for 90 days, and they each have to pay a $2,000 fine," Officer Charles said.

"Thank you so much for your time and help. I really appreciate you all," Ava said.

"Of course. We want to make sure everyone is safe and ok," Officer Jackson said.

The mall cleaner, Bill, drove a utility cart towards the group. "Young lady, I'll help clean your car," he said as he removed the dead birds from the car. The police, plus James, Sam, and Ava, each took some cleaning supplies to wipe down the blood and eggs.

"Ava! Are you ok?" Jasmine asked, running towards Ava, with Carol behind her.

"We're going to help you clean," Carol offered as she and Jasmine put gloves on, and started cleaning Ava's car.

"Av, I'm so sorry this happened to you," Jasmine said, wiping an egg off, being careful not to damage the paint.

"Whoever did this, I hope they rot in jail," Carol said, wiping blood off a window.

"I have a few pictures I'll show you after we're done cleaning," Ava said, cleaning another window.

"And I have footage of the whole thing," Sam said as he scraped off remaining bird guts from the roof.

"Two of them were former coworkers of mine from American Eagle. Used to be friends," Ava said.

"Well, they're not real friends," Jasmine said.

"You deserve better, Ava. Those people are low-lives," Carol said.

"If you don't mind me asking, why did they do this?" Jasmine asked.

"They accused us of being 'racist', just because I'm a police officer, and just because she's dating a police officer," Aaron told them.

"They're so messed up. But congratulations on your new job," Carol said.

"Yeah, congratulations. At least we know Ava is in good hands and she'll be protected," Jasmine said.

"Thank you. And yes, I will do anything to protect her, and of course the people around us," Aaron said.

"Yes, she trusts you, but as a police officer, you're a target to criminals, and that might also make her a target as well. Criminals will try to attack police officers, they will also try to harm the officer's loved ones," Officer Johnson said. "If you have a permit, you can own a gun," he told Ava.

"I do own a permit. I was actually given a taser as well," Ava said.

"Honey, while you were working, I did purchase a couple of guns to keep in our apartment for self defense. It's a last resort and should only be used if absolutely necessary. I placed them in boxes under our bed," Aaron told her.

"Okay. Thank you so much, sweetheart. I won't touch them," Ava said.

"No problem. When you get home, you can take a look at them," Aaron said. "Want me to come home with you?" he asked her.

"I'll be ok," Ava said to him.

"I have to get home to my sons. Be careful, Ava," Carol said.

"And I have to feed my dog. Take care, Ava. Be safe," Jasmine said.

"You too. You girls have a good night. And thank you for helping with cleaning my car," Ava said.

"No problem. Have a good night," Jasmine and Carol said before getting in their cars.

"Are you sure, Ava? I don't want anything to happen to you," Aaron said.

"I'm sure. Besides, it's your first day of work. I don't want to ruin that," Ava said.

"Alright. But if you change your mind, give me a call, and I will come home right away," Aaron said.

"I'll be fine," Ava assured him.

Aaron sighed. "Okay. I made spaghetti earlier. I'm sure you're hungry," he said. "As I said, if you need me to come home, give me a call," he added.

"I'll be ok, but thank you," Ava said.

"Anytime, sweetheart. I'll see you tonight. Be safe," Aaron told her.

"You too. I'll see you tonight," Ava said before getting in her car, removing her mask.

"Let's head back to the station," Officer Jackson said, patting Aaron's shoulder. "Be careful," he said to Ava.

Ava nodded, then started her car and drove off, with tears in her eyes. After what happened, things will never be the same.


	43. New Update

I'm sorry to say this, but I am no longer continuing to write this story. My friend quit her mall job to join the Navy, and from what she told me, her security friend also quit his job but is now working to become a police officer! I'm so happy for them, and I wish them the best. But I will write about what happens to the main characters of this story.

* * *

***December 1, 2030***

It's been over 10 years since Ava and Aaron met, and 7 years since they got married. Aaron is now Chief of Police, and Ava is a veterinarian. They raise two kids together, a 5-year-old son, Connor Richard, and 3-year-old daughter, Penelope Rose.

Just to think of it, it all started out during the COVID-19 Pandemic.


End file.
